At sectionals last weekend I had a classic ultimate collision, the type people point at when they argue against co-ed (don't worry, there were no serious injuries). It was during a hell point in our seventh game of the weekend, right after we lost a close one to Night Train. Anyway, our team was playing poorly, and there were multiple hell points that game. During one such hell point I made an up line cut. Well, I was feeling good about the cut as soon as I started it; I had a lot of separation from my defender, and the throw was right next to me, moving about as fast as I was. Everything seemed great and I decided to milk the throw. About a second later I heard some steps so I caught it and turned my back to the oncoming defender.
I instantly had flashbacks of the Claremont vs. UW game from 06 when I got crushed in the same situation. Well, this collision was much different. When we hit I heard a high pitched scream, and instead of thinking about my UW experience, I started thinking about Stout's horror story about running into a poaching women in Spain. Well, the women I hit started freaking out and yelling for her inhaler. I also got really worried, until my defender put his hand on my shoulder and said "Don't worry, you did nothing wrong." It was really assuring, and somehow it turned the whole thing into a positive experience for me, and my understanding of co-ed.
At the same time, I heard one of the Cows say "That's co-ed ultimate." When I first heard this, I interpreted it as a "shit happens, but it's okay" sort of statement, but with some reflection, my interpretation is changing. I'm starting to see it as a critique of co-ed, and the potential it has for injury. Anyway, this whole event is making me think I don't want to play co-ed for too much longer. Still, hanging out with women, and having a relaxed schedule is really nice. Anyway, if I start grad school next summer I'll probably wind up playing co-ed again.
In other Ultimate news, I had my first real zone practice outside of college ultimate today. It was really fun, and I got to play the point in a successful zone. I think the best part was playing with knowledgeable players. Everyone was learning a new zone, but we didn't have to design drills to teach people new things, also, because we had a coach, not everyone was talking. It was a really sweet experience, I hope this is a trend for the rest of my ultimate carrier.
In non-ultimate news, I saw a real inspiring film about climbing a few weeks ago. It's called "King Lines" and will be available on DVD in October. The film is about Santa Cruz local Chris Sharma's global search for the perfect climb. If you have the chance, you should check it out*. I was lucky and got to see it on a big screen during the "Real Rock Film Tour."
Last thing, I'm looking for new music (of any genera) to listen to. Suggestions?
WARNING: This movie will make you want to go climb rocks.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Sectionals Recap
This tournament had the most schedule changes of any tournament I've ever participated in. I'm just glad I'm only a player on our team so I didn't have to look at any of them. In hindsight not checking the schedules might have been a mistake since we thought games didn't start until 10 on Saturday when they actually started at 9. Well, we had 12 people cleated by 9, and we were playing "Kill My Land Lord" so it all worked out okay (We won 13-2 ish). Our second game was against the "Feral Cows" and was similarly non-memorable, we won 13-8 or so.
The next game was our big game for day one. We played Night Train for first in the pool. Our games have been close with this team all year, and everyone anticipated this game to be real close. We started on D and got three chances with the disc, but didn't convert. Still, it was encouraging to generate turns. After this, our O comes out and gets the job done. Their job does the same. Then they get a break to go up 3-1, then 4-1, then 5-1. Our O finally scores to make it 5-2. When our D got back on the field, we were finally able to convert the turns we were getting, and we converted a lot of them. We broke six straight times to take half 8-5. We then cruzed in the second half and won 13-6 ish.
We then played the "Thunderbirds" in the quarters. This team was exhausted and had just won a big upset to make the quarters. Anyway, we take half 8-1 and win 15-4. This was followed by a nice drive back to SC from Stanford and me watching like 4 episodes of Heroes when I got home.
First game Day two was against Brass Money at 9. This time we knew the start time, and got there good and early (7:50). This game was not as close as I had hoped. They got two breaks in the first half to our none. We got one back in the second half, but they promptly got another and wound up wining 15-11. Our loss in this game set up a rematch with Night Train.
We started on D and got a turn, them almost immediately hucked it away to a reciever who was coming back under. Our O then scored easily with no turns. D gets another turn, and hucks it away. O scores with no turns. D hucks it away. O turns it, and they get a break. They get another. We right the ship and get it to half 8-5. In the second half we manage to mount a comback and bring it to 13-12 game to 14. We're on D and we get the disc. I end up dropping a pass and they march it down and score. It was kind of crushing. I had played really well in the game until then with 4 Ds and 2 goals, but that one drop is what really made the difference. I was kind of in a stupor for the next one, another game against the Cows, and we wound up wining 15-10 or so.
This put us in the game-to-go to regionals against Wagon (kind of ridiculous when you look at our RRI). Surprisingly (and pleasingly) there was a crowd for this one, as Brass was still around drinking after their finals victory, and "That's What SHE Said" stuck around after having loosing to Wagon on the same field in the previous round. We played really well the whole game. Our O had one turn that I can remember, and that lead to the one break they got. I got to go deep a few times in this one, and caught two easy goals from nice flick hucks by Kevin Beck. I'd like to think that I had a positive effect for those playing fantasy because I added the "if a cutter's defender falls over while the cutter sets up a deep cut +1/2" rule, then proceeded to make two defenders fall over when I was setting up deep cuts.
So, we got out of our section, and we're on to regionals. I think regionals will go well, and getting Daryl and Lean back wont hurt ether. After this weekend I realized how crowded it is at the top of the NorCal mixed section.
The next game was our big game for day one. We played Night Train for first in the pool. Our games have been close with this team all year, and everyone anticipated this game to be real close. We started on D and got three chances with the disc, but didn't convert. Still, it was encouraging to generate turns. After this, our O comes out and gets the job done. Their job does the same. Then they get a break to go up 3-1, then 4-1, then 5-1. Our O finally scores to make it 5-2. When our D got back on the field, we were finally able to convert the turns we were getting, and we converted a lot of them. We broke six straight times to take half 8-5. We then cruzed in the second half and won 13-6 ish.
We then played the "Thunderbirds" in the quarters. This team was exhausted and had just won a big upset to make the quarters. Anyway, we take half 8-1 and win 15-4. This was followed by a nice drive back to SC from Stanford and me watching like 4 episodes of Heroes when I got home.
First game Day two was against Brass Money at 9. This time we knew the start time, and got there good and early (7:50). This game was not as close as I had hoped. They got two breaks in the first half to our none. We got one back in the second half, but they promptly got another and wound up wining 15-11. Our loss in this game set up a rematch with Night Train.
We started on D and got a turn, them almost immediately hucked it away to a reciever who was coming back under. Our O then scored easily with no turns. D gets another turn, and hucks it away. O scores with no turns. D hucks it away. O turns it, and they get a break. They get another. We right the ship and get it to half 8-5. In the second half we manage to mount a comback and bring it to 13-12 game to 14. We're on D and we get the disc. I end up dropping a pass and they march it down and score. It was kind of crushing. I had played really well in the game until then with 4 Ds and 2 goals, but that one drop is what really made the difference. I was kind of in a stupor for the next one, another game against the Cows, and we wound up wining 15-10 or so.
This put us in the game-to-go to regionals against Wagon (kind of ridiculous when you look at our RRI). Surprisingly (and pleasingly) there was a crowd for this one, as Brass was still around drinking after their finals victory, and "That's What SHE Said" stuck around after having loosing to Wagon on the same field in the previous round. We played really well the whole game. Our O had one turn that I can remember, and that lead to the one break they got. I got to go deep a few times in this one, and caught two easy goals from nice flick hucks by Kevin Beck. I'd like to think that I had a positive effect for those playing fantasy because I added the "if a cutter's defender falls over while the cutter sets up a deep cut +1/2" rule, then proceeded to make two defenders fall over when I was setting up deep cuts.
So, we got out of our section, and we're on to regionals. I think regionals will go well, and getting Daryl and Lean back wont hurt ether. After this weekend I realized how crowded it is at the top of the NorCal mixed section.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The State of West Coast Elite Disc (open)
I'm writing this because Match Diesel seems to be the only non-player writing about elite disc, and I think he's way off base when it comes to the west coast. I figured I'd write scouting reports about some of the top teams (I think he did this a few weeks ago). I'm going to break up my little scouting reports into two categories, a "how they play" category which should be self explanatory, and a "talent/culture" category about who plays on the team, how the team operates, and the over all talent level.
Revolver:
How they play: They move the disc well, and the majority of their risks come with break mark throws. They are built on consistency and seem to run into the most problems when they put up too many 50/50 shots to Wiseman.
Talent/culture: A lot has been made about how this is the Stanford team and Jam is the Cal team, that's bullshit. It's true that Revolver has a good amount of Stanford guys (at least 9), but they also have 2 from UCSC, 2 from Cal, 2 from UCSB and 1 from Davis. Basically, they're the younger team and Jam is the older team. Talent wise they're very strong, but mostly their strength is that nobody on the team thinks they're better then they are.
Jam:
How they play: I've already said a good amount about this team. They like the long ball and they like "keeping it fun" as Idris explains in his blog. Each individual seems to hold the disc a long time. I think this happens because everyone on Jam can make things happen with their throws. I think Jam would benefit from a culture of fast disc movement (but I think that about every team). Basically, there aren't any role players on this team (no, I don't think I'd fill this void, I just think some of the better players might have to take a little bit of a back seat).
Talent/culture: This team has a lot of great players, none of whom payed college last year. I think Boo is the youngest guy on the team, and I'm pretty sure everyone else played in club nationals '04 (just as a point of reference). A lot of these guys are at least 5 years out of college, and there doesn't seem to be much of a talent pipeline into Jam.
Sockeye:
How they play: The same as last year, just with more talent. They do a good job of not showing their hand while still dominating during the summer, but I think everyone knows that their O line from the finals last year will be back in effect this fall (just with Tim G instead of Dave Bestock as an O handler)
Culture: Sure there is strong imported talent, but this team does the best job of any team in developing the local talent pool by taking on young local players. As far as team dynamics go, I don't think chemistry will ever really be an issue for the Fish unless Seth becomes captain (I kid). Anyway, it seems like everyone wants to play for these guys, even if they don't need to be a hanger on to some great players coattails (I'm looking at you Michael Stout). As per what has been said about their chemistry issues in '05 and their recent stockpiling of Callahan winners, the '05 finals were just real windy, and just because you've won a Callahan this decade doesn't mean you would have won in '98 (when looking at that list, remember that UCSB, who won that year, doesn't nominate candidates and Namkung, Steets, Husak, and Yarbrough were on Tide in '98). Whatever, they're still stacked.
That's all I'm writing for now, I don't know enough about Rhino or Furious to write anything intelligent about them.
Revolver:
How they play: They move the disc well, and the majority of their risks come with break mark throws. They are built on consistency and seem to run into the most problems when they put up too many 50/50 shots to Wiseman.
Talent/culture: A lot has been made about how this is the Stanford team and Jam is the Cal team, that's bullshit. It's true that Revolver has a good amount of Stanford guys (at least 9), but they also have 2 from UCSC, 2 from Cal, 2 from UCSB and 1 from Davis. Basically, they're the younger team and Jam is the older team. Talent wise they're very strong, but mostly their strength is that nobody on the team thinks they're better then they are.
Jam:
How they play: I've already said a good amount about this team. They like the long ball and they like "keeping it fun" as Idris explains in his blog. Each individual seems to hold the disc a long time. I think this happens because everyone on Jam can make things happen with their throws. I think Jam would benefit from a culture of fast disc movement (but I think that about every team). Basically, there aren't any role players on this team (no, I don't think I'd fill this void, I just think some of the better players might have to take a little bit of a back seat).
Talent/culture: This team has a lot of great players, none of whom payed college last year. I think Boo is the youngest guy on the team, and I'm pretty sure everyone else played in club nationals '04 (just as a point of reference). A lot of these guys are at least 5 years out of college, and there doesn't seem to be much of a talent pipeline into Jam.
Sockeye:
How they play: The same as last year, just with more talent. They do a good job of not showing their hand while still dominating during the summer, but I think everyone knows that their O line from the finals last year will be back in effect this fall (just with Tim G instead of Dave Bestock as an O handler)
Culture: Sure there is strong imported talent, but this team does the best job of any team in developing the local talent pool by taking on young local players. As far as team dynamics go, I don't think chemistry will ever really be an issue for the Fish unless Seth becomes captain (I kid). Anyway, it seems like everyone wants to play for these guys, even if they don't need to be a hanger on to some great players coattails (I'm looking at you Michael Stout). As per what has been said about their chemistry issues in '05 and their recent stockpiling of Callahan winners, the '05 finals were just real windy, and just because you've won a Callahan this decade doesn't mean you would have won in '98 (when looking at that list, remember that UCSB, who won that year, doesn't nominate candidates and Namkung, Steets, Husak, and Yarbrough were on Tide in '98). Whatever, they're still stacked.
That's all I'm writing for now, I don't know enough about Rhino or Furious to write anything intelligent about them.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Life Update
I got a MacBook Pro. It's awesome. I love it. The only thing is I'm having problems with the iSight camera thing, apple store, here I come. Along with this new toy I got one on the new iPod classics (the thin 80 gig one). My only complaint is that I wish they still made them in white. It'll be nice to have a music library for my car again, although I'll need to make new playlists.
In retrospect, I'd say using the iPod shuffle did good things for my musical horizons. It really made me realize how much I don't listen to good music by some of my favorite groups like The Roots, De La Soul, J-Live, and Zion I, and it helped me realize a couple of sweet things about hip-hop. Fist, if you shout out Slick Rick in your song, it'll probably be great (see "Mellow My Man", "1nce Again", "Grindin'" "It's Like That" from The Grind Date), and second, that J-Live is like three great tracks away from me being able to make a sweet greatest hits style playlist (right now I'd go with "Wax Paper", "Braggin' Writes" (the original, not the one with the retarded kermit voice thing), "Them That's Not", "The Best Part", "Satisfied", "Like This Anna", "Do That Shit", and "All Of The Above" (mosty because he shouts out Optimus Prime)).
Now I have to go and upload all my music to my new iPod and make those new playlists.
In retrospect, I'd say using the iPod shuffle did good things for my musical horizons. It really made me realize how much I don't listen to good music by some of my favorite groups like The Roots, De La Soul, J-Live, and Zion I, and it helped me realize a couple of sweet things about hip-hop. Fist, if you shout out Slick Rick in your song, it'll probably be great (see "Mellow My Man", "1nce Again", "Grindin'" "It's Like That" from The Grind Date), and second, that J-Live is like three great tracks away from me being able to make a sweet greatest hits style playlist (right now I'd go with "Wax Paper", "Braggin' Writes" (the original, not the one with the retarded kermit voice thing), "Them That's Not", "The Best Part", "Satisfied", "Like This Anna", "Do That Shit", and "All Of The Above" (mosty because he shouts out Optimus Prime)).
Now I have to go and upload all my music to my new iPod and make those new playlists.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Completing the Throw
So, I was reeding TrueHoop over on espn.com the other day and I realized something about teaching throwing in ultimate. The article of interest was about how LeBron has improved his jump shot over the summer. David Thorpe (an NBA trainer guy) was saying how in his new improved jump shot, LeBron lands where he took off from, and he is still when he lands (with his hand up, '98 Jordan style). In Basketball they call this "completing the shot." The reason this is important is that in order for the shooter to get to this point, they must have had proper mechanics all the way through their shooting motion. Now that's where it all applies to ultimate.
I've heard you should be able to be still after throwing a backhand or a forehand, but I never fully understood why. Now it's pretty obvious. In order to be still, your mechanics must have been correct all the way through your throw (another great side effect is that you won't travel when you throw, so they'll have to call you on pivoting). Basically, I think that one should emphasize the follow through, and that it should finish in the thrower being still, along with explaining this reasoning behind this when (re)teaching throwing.
I know this gives me something to work on.
I've heard you should be able to be still after throwing a backhand or a forehand, but I never fully understood why. Now it's pretty obvious. In order to be still, your mechanics must have been correct all the way through your throw (another great side effect is that you won't travel when you throw, so they'll have to call you on pivoting). Basically, I think that one should emphasize the follow through, and that it should finish in the thrower being still, along with explaining this reasoning behind this when (re)teaching throwing.
I know this gives me something to work on.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Labor Day Weekend Ultimate
I was in SF this past weekend playing in the co-ed decision of Labor Day. First off, the Golden Gate Park Polo Fields are horrible, and there is no way they let horses run on them (those are some expensive ankles). Anyway, here are my thoughts on the teams we played:
Bad Larry: They look deep a lot and isolate their cutters well. They also use their women effectively. If they make nationals, the wind could be a problem in they stick with this game plan (I say if because the three SW teams look pretty even). I can't see this team making it past the quarters.
Pleasuretown: They play a regimented split stack offense, with a guy and a girl on each side, thus making it hard for teams to switch. They also rely on their resets a lot. They're a good young team that will get better in years to come, but they rely on their athleticism too much right now, they come up with a lot of second effort grabs that won't always happen, especially in windier conditions. Personally, I think Bamboo needs to play more, the team is noticeably better when he's on the field and he can really run things for their offense.
AMP: They seemed to have a tough game with injuries and jet lag when we played them. Anyway, this is what I noticed. They relied on their resets more than any other team we played, and when they don't get them, they seem to tunnel to their men. Because of this we had success letting our women poach while we shut down their dump. Also, they have height and seem , but seem to use it to get open under more then deep.
The Horde: This was our forth game on Saturday, so I didn't get too much out of it in terms of what they'll usually do. Um, Courtney Dale touches the disc a lot for them.
Mischief: They have good team speed and rely on it. They seem to have trouble with Shazam because Shazam is just a little bit faster, and it forces Mischief into a plan b. Chucky is a big pick up for them, and seems to be in on every d point. Forcing them backhand might be a good idea because of the strength of both Dollar's and Chucky's flicks, and it makes Punky's flick not a break (god damn lefties).
Brass Monkey: They like to break the mark then look long, and they have the height and throwers to do it. Also, their zone is very strong, and they trap sideline well. They also use their women better then any team aside from Shazam. It seems like most teams really get up to play them because of both their reputation as a top team, and because their record this year indicates that they're more beatable then the other two big dogs from the NW.
Okay, enough about mixed. I was also able to make it back to SC for the Open final and here are some observations from that game.
The Jam jerseys aren't as ugly as people claim they are, but they aren't exactly pretty either. Still, I like the blues.
Jam is incredibly fast as a team, and uses that team speed well to put pressure on opposing offenses. Also, I think this team is much more regimented then last year's JL team (running a vert stack instead of a ho helps this).
Bravo is very tall, and it seems like their reputation of looking deep helps them get open underneath. Also, they count faster then any team I've ever seen, maybe it was just the finals, but I swear I heard some 5 second paced 10 counts.
Parker is an amazing thrower, and Jam always let their defenders know when he had the disc. They did this so the week side defenders would tighten up on their man (really similar to '04 Jam calling "Shank!" when playing against Furious as was noted on Disc 1).
Wow, that's my first ultimate related post. There will be more to come after NorCal open sectionals this weekend.
Bad Larry: They look deep a lot and isolate their cutters well. They also use their women effectively. If they make nationals, the wind could be a problem in they stick with this game plan (I say if because the three SW teams look pretty even). I can't see this team making it past the quarters.
Pleasuretown: They play a regimented split stack offense, with a guy and a girl on each side, thus making it hard for teams to switch. They also rely on their resets a lot. They're a good young team that will get better in years to come, but they rely on their athleticism too much right now, they come up with a lot of second effort grabs that won't always happen, especially in windier conditions. Personally, I think Bamboo needs to play more, the team is noticeably better when he's on the field and he can really run things for their offense.
AMP: They seemed to have a tough game with injuries and jet lag when we played them. Anyway, this is what I noticed. They relied on their resets more than any other team we played, and when they don't get them, they seem to tunnel to their men. Because of this we had success letting our women poach while we shut down their dump. Also, they have height and seem , but seem to use it to get open under more then deep.
The Horde: This was our forth game on Saturday, so I didn't get too much out of it in terms of what they'll usually do. Um, Courtney Dale touches the disc a lot for them.
Mischief: They have good team speed and rely on it. They seem to have trouble with Shazam because Shazam is just a little bit faster, and it forces Mischief into a plan b. Chucky is a big pick up for them, and seems to be in on every d point. Forcing them backhand might be a good idea because of the strength of both Dollar's and Chucky's flicks, and it makes Punky's flick not a break (god damn lefties).
Brass Monkey: They like to break the mark then look long, and they have the height and throwers to do it. Also, their zone is very strong, and they trap sideline well. They also use their women better then any team aside from Shazam. It seems like most teams really get up to play them because of both their reputation as a top team, and because their record this year indicates that they're more beatable then the other two big dogs from the NW.
Okay, enough about mixed. I was also able to make it back to SC for the Open final and here are some observations from that game.
The Jam jerseys aren't as ugly as people claim they are, but they aren't exactly pretty either. Still, I like the blues.
Jam is incredibly fast as a team, and uses that team speed well to put pressure on opposing offenses. Also, I think this team is much more regimented then last year's JL team (running a vert stack instead of a ho helps this).
Bravo is very tall, and it seems like their reputation of looking deep helps them get open underneath. Also, they count faster then any team I've ever seen, maybe it was just the finals, but I swear I heard some 5 second paced 10 counts.
Parker is an amazing thrower, and Jam always let their defenders know when he had the disc. They did this so the week side defenders would tighten up on their man (really similar to '04 Jam calling "Shank!" when playing against Furious as was noted on Disc 1).
Wow, that's my first ultimate related post. There will be more to come after NorCal open sectionals this weekend.
Desert Island, All-time, Top-five Hip-Hop Albums (chronologically):
Quick post to get me started on the music front, because I know I'll do too much talking about disc. These are my Desert Island, All-time, Top-five Hip-Hop Albums (and why) (chronologically):
The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
This record has the most pop culture references of any record ever made, period. The lyrics aren't too complex, but the beasties trade lines well and are exceedingly clever (I love their ode to New York references). Also, the production on this record changed how records were produced in hip hop and music in general by revolutionizing the technique of sampling. The production is rich and layered, sampling multiple records to create each track. It's been said that Paul's Boutique could not be made today because of the overhead it would require to clear all of the samples. I'd say this is my favorite record of all time.
Favorite tracks: High Planes Drifter, Car Thief
The Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
If you like kung fu flicks, grimy minimalist beats with eerie piano and sped up soul samples, and sum gully lyrics, check out The Wu. Also, if you want something energized and/or angry this is awesome.
Favorite tracks: Clan in da Front, Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II
NaS - Illmatic (1994)
NaS is one of the best lyricists ever, and if you want nuanced lyrics with imagery and vivid story telling, check out this record. The production on Illmatic was largely influenced by the Jazz rap coming out of New York in the early nineties and this style meshes well with NaS's Gambino rap storytelling. On a lyrical level, I don't think enough has been made of NaS saying "Sentence begins indented .. with formality/My duration's infinite, moneywise or physiology/ Poetry, that's a part of me .." I really think that NaS's lyrics on this album are worthwhile as poetry, and that they'll be respected as such some day.
Favorite tracks: NY State of Mind, Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park), One Time For Your Mind
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats Rhymes and Life (1996)
ATCQ is my favorite hip hop group, and although most don't consider this their best album, I really appreciate the slick production and the subject matter. The MCs of Tribe show a lot of maturity with the lyrics on this album without sacrificing their artistry. Also, I think J-Dilla was a great addition to the production crew. This album hurts from only having one obvious single in "Stressed Out," but it's start to finish consistency is amazing, from Get a Hold, to Mind Power, to What Really Goes On.
Favorite tracks: Get a Hold, Jam, and Stressed Out
Black Star - Black Star (1998)
This is an all around great record with two of Brooklyn's finest MC's teaming up to bring back the feeling of the native tongues movement from the late 80s and early 90s. Both Mos Def and Talib Kweli deliver some all time great verses on this album, and keep everything positive. Check out both "Definition" and "RE:Definition" along with "Thieves in the Night" and "Respiration." If you ask me, "Respiration" is one of the top five hip hop songs of all time, and arguably the best (check out Mos Def's Thomas Paine reference at the end of the first verse, its pretty cool and not overly obvious).
Favorite Tracks: RE:Definition, Respiration
There you have it.
The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
This record has the most pop culture references of any record ever made, period. The lyrics aren't too complex, but the beasties trade lines well and are exceedingly clever (I love their ode to New York references). Also, the production on this record changed how records were produced in hip hop and music in general by revolutionizing the technique of sampling. The production is rich and layered, sampling multiple records to create each track. It's been said that Paul's Boutique could not be made today because of the overhead it would require to clear all of the samples. I'd say this is my favorite record of all time.
Favorite tracks: High Planes Drifter, Car Thief
The Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
If you like kung fu flicks, grimy minimalist beats with eerie piano and sped up soul samples, and sum gully lyrics, check out The Wu. Also, if you want something energized and/or angry this is awesome.
Favorite tracks: Clan in da Front, Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II
NaS - Illmatic (1994)
NaS is one of the best lyricists ever, and if you want nuanced lyrics with imagery and vivid story telling, check out this record. The production on Illmatic was largely influenced by the Jazz rap coming out of New York in the early nineties and this style meshes well with NaS's Gambino rap storytelling. On a lyrical level, I don't think enough has been made of NaS saying "Sentence begins indented .. with formality/My duration's infinite, moneywise or physiology/ Poetry, that's a part of me .." I really think that NaS's lyrics on this album are worthwhile as poetry, and that they'll be respected as such some day.
Favorite tracks: NY State of Mind, Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park), One Time For Your Mind
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats Rhymes and Life (1996)
ATCQ is my favorite hip hop group, and although most don't consider this their best album, I really appreciate the slick production and the subject matter. The MCs of Tribe show a lot of maturity with the lyrics on this album without sacrificing their artistry. Also, I think J-Dilla was a great addition to the production crew. This album hurts from only having one obvious single in "Stressed Out," but it's start to finish consistency is amazing, from Get a Hold, to Mind Power, to What Really Goes On.
Favorite tracks: Get a Hold, Jam, and Stressed Out
Black Star - Black Star (1998)
This is an all around great record with two of Brooklyn's finest MC's teaming up to bring back the feeling of the native tongues movement from the late 80s and early 90s. Both Mos Def and Talib Kweli deliver some all time great verses on this album, and keep everything positive. Check out both "Definition" and "RE:Definition" along with "Thieves in the Night" and "Respiration." If you ask me, "Respiration" is one of the top five hip hop songs of all time, and arguably the best (check out Mos Def's Thomas Paine reference at the end of the first verse, its pretty cool and not overly obvious).
Favorite Tracks: RE:Definition, Respiration
There you have it.
Mission Statement
Okay, so I made this blog for a couple of reasons, first, I think it'll be sweet to have a place to put down my opinions on the things I love to do, second, I'm not going to school this fall, so this might be a way for me to keep my mind occupied, and finally, Jay said I should. With that said, these are the things you should know about what will show up here:
1. A lot of typos. I'm a horrible speller, and my grammar is questionable at best.
2. My predictions about sports. This will be mostly on Ultimate, but I think the NBA will make an appearance or two.
3. My opinions about music. I like writing about music, and I don't know how good I am at it, but I'll give it a shot.
4. Some everyday boringness. I like reading about what my friends are up to, maybe you guys will appreciate reading about what I'm doing.
So, with all that out of the way, here is where I'm at in life right now:
I'm living at home after having recently graduated from college. I think it's both good for my parents and myself, also, if and when I get a job, living at home will allow me to maybe save some money while paying off loans and things like that. For the current club ultimate season I'm playing coed with a Santa Cruz team called Family Style (FS). As a young guy who wants to play 'elite', I'm lucky to have a team like FS to play with because it isn't a team with a lot of carrier co-ed players. I really like my teammates, and I'm fortunate to be able to play with and learn from veterans who've played top level open and womens.
Also, my iPod was recently stolen at a party. As such, I've had to make do with my mom's Shuffle for my car music. Although it's a bummer to have lost all my playlists and the random songs I've gotten from friends over the years, not having my iPod has made me focus on music a little bit more. I'm actively seeking it out, and really thinking about what I want on the little 1 GB shuffle.
So, that's kind of where I'm at in general. Word.
1. A lot of typos. I'm a horrible speller, and my grammar is questionable at best.
2. My predictions about sports. This will be mostly on Ultimate, but I think the NBA will make an appearance or two.
3. My opinions about music. I like writing about music, and I don't know how good I am at it, but I'll give it a shot.
4. Some everyday boringness. I like reading about what my friends are up to, maybe you guys will appreciate reading about what I'm doing.
So, with all that out of the way, here is where I'm at in life right now:
I'm living at home after having recently graduated from college. I think it's both good for my parents and myself, also, if and when I get a job, living at home will allow me to maybe save some money while paying off loans and things like that. For the current club ultimate season I'm playing coed with a Santa Cruz team called Family Style (FS). As a young guy who wants to play 'elite', I'm lucky to have a team like FS to play with because it isn't a team with a lot of carrier co-ed players. I really like my teammates, and I'm fortunate to be able to play with and learn from veterans who've played top level open and womens.
Also, my iPod was recently stolen at a party. As such, I've had to make do with my mom's Shuffle for my car music. Although it's a bummer to have lost all my playlists and the random songs I've gotten from friends over the years, not having my iPod has made me focus on music a little bit more. I'm actively seeking it out, and really thinking about what I want on the little 1 GB shuffle.
So, that's kind of where I'm at in general. Word.
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