Now this new album is a great blend of both “The Swelly Express” and “Peanut Butter and Swelly.”  Although, I may dare to say even a little bit better.  Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege is back with his impeccable raps and Noah “Xaphoone Jones” Beresin is mixing some sweet beats.  They combine electronica, hip hop, alternative, and jazz influences in this album and all of it sounds amazing.

“Ray Charles” is a song that starts out with a sassy singer with a lovely and pays homage to the great man himself in an amusing way, in true Chiddy Bang fashion.  Put on your sunglasses for this one to really get in the spirit.

“Does She Love Me?” shows a softer side that is often not seen from these boys.  Chiddy tells how lonely the road can be, which I have to admit is refreshing.  Although the subject is a little played out, these boys are able to put a fresh twist on it.

“Baby Roulette” is an upbeat song to check out featuring Train themselves.  Remember when Aerosmith and Run DMC collaborated for “Walk this Way”?  I feel this is a similar, mind-blowing collaboration.  The song is very understated, but, oh, so fantastic.

One of my favorite things about Chiddy’s rhymes is he constantly makes clever references and keeps it real.  This duo is definitely one you could hang out with.  They also constantly mix all kinds of different sounds together and no one song every sounds alike.  These two boys have great thing going and I really hope they keep going for years to come.  Dig in to this album at the start of your day with a spoon and glass of orange juice.

Don’t forget to check out my show Mondays 1-3pm pst on KSSU.com!

Amongst all the attention and craze, the nation’s newest sports flavor has drawn comparisons to the hot button topic of our sporting world from just a few months ago; that’s right, America’s darling, the one and only Tim Tebow.  My question is why?  Before us we have two different athletes whose claim to fame took two different paths.  They share some common bonds, but let’s be real about this, they are nothing alike.  We need to separate Linsanity from Tebowmania once and for all.

Tim Tebow was one of the most heavily scrutinized NFL prospects ever seen.  Everyone wanted to see him, see what he could do, make predictions about his future successes or failures, they couldn’t get enough of him.  It was almost as if the nation was split as we drew near the 2010 NFL draft; people either thought he could or couldn’t play in a NFL pro-style offense.  At Florida he ran a spread offense, a style while popular in the college ranks, get relatively little use in the NFL.  This spread also had gained a reputation for inflating the numbers of sub-par quaterbacks, and few spread offense QBs have had success at the professional level, in fact few received the attention Tebow was getting.  So why was Tebow different?  He was a winner.  He came to Florida as one of the most highly recruited High School quaterbacks in 2006, having earned a reputation of being a great runner and thrower, as well as being a fierce competitor with uncommon physical courage. While playing 4 years at Florida, he won two national championships and the Heisman (awarded to the top collegiate athlete). His passion for the game was well known, his leadership highly touted.  These traits were immortalized after the passionate post game speech he gave following the first and only loss in the 2008 season to the University of Mississippi.  Known as the promise, Florida placed a plaque in the locker room with Tebow’s words on it, and Tim Tebow led his Gators to a victory in the national championship that year.  After four years at Florida, in 2010 the Denver Broncos took Tebow in the 1^st round with the 25^th pick, a decision almost as heavily scrutinized as the lead up for Tebow to the draft.  But it didn’t matter, Tim Tebow was drafted and knew he was going to be a Denver Bronco for the foreseeable future.

Jeremy Lin wouldn’t know the joy Tebow felt being drafted the first round, he wouldn’t even know the joy that comes with being drafted at all.  In fact Jeremy Lin wouldn’t even know what it was like to be a highly recruited prospect out of high school.  After leading Palo Alto High School to an upset of nationally ranked Mater Dei in California’s Division 2 state Championships his senior year, and after being named player of the year for Division 2, Lin couldn’t even get a major program to offer him more than a chance to walk-on.  Lin instead went to Harvard, where he was granted a spot on their basketball team and his 4.2 GPA allowed him to attend (Harvard and other Ivy League schools do not give sports scholarships).  At Harvard, Lin quickly climbed the depth chart at guard and soon it was clear he would become one of the greatest players Harvard had ever seen.  Still, he was at Harvard; which wasn’t a national power house in basketball like Florida was in football.  Lin gained more attention for his race, being an American-born citizen of Chinese and Taiwanese decent.  After 4 years tearing it up at Harvard, it was time to test the professional waters of the NBA.  However the 2010 NBA Draft would bring disappointment for Lin, who was trying to become the first Ivy League player drafted since 1995 and the first Harvard player in the league since 1954, as he went undrafted.

Who cares that their roads were different, that doesn’t separate Lin and Tebow, right?  Cause both are having success at the professional level that no one expected, right?!  Wrong.  While their success has been equally pleasing to see, it’s not the same.  Anyone drafted in the 1^st round is expected to have an impact.  To say Tim Tebow’s success was unpredictable is rubbish.  Sure he was heavily scrutinized, but for every hater of Tebow, there was someone who believed and supported him.  In his rookie year, Tebow got his chance to play and responded with victories and an amazing display of desire.  At times it almost seemed he was willing his team to victory.  Going in to the NBA’s summer league, only one person gave Lin a shot to play, and he took advantage of it, eventually earning a roster spot with his hometown team, the Golden State Warriors.  During Lin’s rookie campaign, he rode the bench, and didn’t see much playing time.

During this past NFL season, Tebow’s sophomore season, he failed to earn the starting spot at quaterback, but as the losses mounted early in the season, he got his shot and turned his team around. While it wasn’t pretty, they won, eventually making the play-offs and a stunning upset victory over the Pittsburg Steelers.  After a divisional round loss to the Patriots, Tebow was given the guarantee that he would be the starting quarterback going into next season, and the spot was his to lose.  This lockout shortned NBA season for Lin was one of uncertainty.  As soon as camps opened, he was cut but the Warriors, signed by the Houston Rockets, but then was cut by them too.  Finally he earned a place on the New York Knicks bench, a move that had no fanfare.  Lin was never expected to start, let alone play this season.  As the losses mounted for a Knicks’ team that had high hopes, and after Head Coach Mike D’Antoni had gone through almost every other point guard on their roster, Lin got his first significant playing time February 4^th, and responded with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists (All career highs for him). The rest is history as the legend of Linsanity has unfolded before our eyes over the past few weeks.

So you see, the comparisons between Lin and Tebow for their playing are ludicrous.  Tebow is a great example of an individual overcoming criticism and proving his doubters wrong.  Lin on the other hand is an inspirational underdog story that, if he continues playing at this rate and his team continues to win, will be one of the best of this decade.  Tebow’s success could have been predicted, no one could have told you 3 months ago Jeremy Lin would be the hottest name in basketball.  If you’re still desperately clawing for something to compare them too, there is a couple of things they share.  Both Lin and Tebow have shown that while they are playing relatively well, they still have tremendous improvements they need to make, in particular they both share the consistent problem of turning the ball over.  Also, they share a deep, intense passion for their faith as well as their game.  They both choose to lead by example, and two of the most genuine people you’ll ever find in the sporting world.  Both are an inspiration, and I look forward to watching their collective success for years to come.  The future is bright for both of them, and we are lucky enough to be witnesses to their rise.

With the Braves not even finishing in the top 20 in Runs, OBP, SLG., and BA, it doesn’t look like a very promising season for the Braves. Jason Heyward looks to have another good year in Atlanta along with ace Tim Hudson, Brian McCann and Chipper Jones. However, it can’t be just those players. The rest of the team needs to step up and become leaders in their roles as Braves players. The other 4 pitchers need to really help out the team, and get some wins under their belt. The Braves are looking like the only team in the NL East who can really give Philadelphia a run for their money.

The Marlins, now the Miami Marlins, Mets and Nationals look to battle it out for 3rd place as they have been for the past 2 years. If one of those teams have a chance, it’s the Nationals, with pitcher Stephan Strausburg on the hill, and a few offseason acquisitions such as Jason Werth, Adam LaRoche and Mark DeRosa, they will be the team to beat for the third place spot between those other 2 teams.

Basically, in a nutshell, my picks for the NL East are as follow:

1. Philadelphia, 2. Atlanta, 3. Washington, 4. New York, 5. Miami

Music Review: Hyper Crush “Night Wave”

So as predicted, Hyper Crush’s newest album “Night Wave” came out this past week on February 7th, 2012.  I covered three songs that I had heard a month ago: Werk Me, Fingers Up, and Flip the Switch.  Now I was going to leave it all at my preview I wrote earlier, but I felt moved enough to write a review (now that I got my ears around the rest of the album).

In “Night Wave,” Hyper Crush shows off their diversity in songs with the varying speed, beats, lyrics, etc.  ”Werk Me” and “Flip the Switch” can be considered the hyper, hard hitting beat and lyrics.  ”Fingers Up” slowed it down a bit.  ”Chrome Pipes” is a bit slower than one might expect but it is a nice transition in the entire album.

Still, for some reason, after having heard the songs I talked about in January, I had expected an album sort of consistent to that.  Music, on the aggregate, has been lacking in energy, and Hyper Crush had a solid opportunity to bring it.  Maybe 60-70% of the album did bring it, but not the whole deal.  If you were to pop this album in your car as you drove around town this would be a great CD.  But if you are looking to throw things on shuffle, you may not want all of these songs shufflin’ about in there.  I still stand by Werk Me, Fingers Up, and Flip the Switch.  Chrome Pipe, Cheap Thrills, and Maniac are not my favorites of the album, but they aren’t necessarily bad.  Bad Boyz, What Goes Up, Chead, and The Foundation are great adds though.

The album is still worth buying.  They have good songs, and it is worth investing your money to the artists that brings you music you dig.  Throwing your money their way will keep them bringing the music.  ”Night Wave” is solid, but maybe I raised hype about it to myself and expected near perfection.  I am not sure.  On iTunes the CD is $7.99 which is a lot better than many other albums out there for $9.99 or higher with even less solid music.   And as I said in the preview, this is still solid for pre-gaming, at the party, and the after party.

Hear more from DJ Mappquest every Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at KSSU.com.  Listen live to random music and just as random talking points.

The 27^th International Santa Barbara Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday after 11 days of events including film screenings, awards presentations, and panel discussions with the industry’s leading writers, directors, and producers.

Highlights included the opening night film Darling Companion starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, awards presentations to Viola Davis, Christopher Plummer, and Martin Scorsese, and the centerpiece film Samsara, which is considered the highest quality film ever created or seen.  At the end of the week brilliant actors Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo were also presented with awards for their performances in The Artist and made for an unforgettable evening at the historic Arlington Theater.

Photos from some of the events can be found after the click.

Photography: Benjamin Schwartz

Photography: Benjamin Schwartz

Now with the addition of Albert Pujols, The LA Angels will have more of a chance to stay in First for more of the year and give Texas a run for their money. With Pujols in there hitting in the 4 spot, that leaves no excuse why the Angels cant score more runs. With Abreu, Hunter and Kendrick hitting in the lineup with Pujols, as well as the quick guys in the top of the order, that is just run scoring central. Oakland and Seattle in my opinion are going to be battling for third place and its going to be a close one. With the loss of Cahill, Gio and Bailey, the pitching staff isn’t going to be as strong. The hitting lineup is going to stay the same really with Matsui hitting 4th and DH-ing. He is really their only big power hitter and is why he is hitting 4th. However, the A’s have a few guys who can hit lead off and have plenty of speed. Coco Crisp and Jemile Weeks, should be another 1-2 combo like last year. Other than the pitching staff, there really are no real changes to their roster and lineup. Seattle is just Seattle. Not really that strong and, like I said above, fighting for third place.

I have yet to have kids of my own, but I’ve heard quite a bit.  A friend of mine who use to be my advisor in my youth group teaches at an elementary school in my town.  He told me how many of his students have smartphones.  These are kids under the age of 12 with Android and iOS devices!  Some could be cheap, but if they were rocking Razr’s or iPhone’s, those are costly items.  I still wonder why they need such an advanced device really.  All they need is a simple phone to call and receive calls from the family and friends (maybe include SMS too I guess).

But that is life, at least in the past 100 years.  The next generation gets more than the last.  Like I sometimes wonder how my parents made it by without Google (research papers seem so much more difficult without the advent of the internet).

Still, I was raised with certain values.  I was for the most part respectful to my parents and other adults.  I played nice with other kids.  I never dreamed of blasting my parents on places like Myspace or LiveJournal, even though my parents didn’t check me up on those places.  I may have said some bad things to my friends, but that’s what you talk about sometimes when you are in K-12.

A father disciplined his daughter because she put her parents on blast [on Facebook]…twice!  This has caused a stir among people.  Some people say well done!  Others say that was a waste (he should have sold the laptop or hid it for longer).  Others say that was too far and his daughter may be scarred or more from all of this.

I would say I’m generally liberal on social issues, but this is one of those where I am not.  I, myself, have been grounded.  I went months without TV, computer, etc.  But I learned my lesson and never made the same mistake twice.  The same can’t be said for everyone though.  Lessons have to be learned though.  Some may question the father’s tactics, but the lesson was loud and clear I would think.  Even as a teenager I think I would get it (after being pissed for days on end).  There is something about seeing what you take for granted in shambles to gets the point across.

I have joked with my parents that when I have kids that I will teach them the lesson of a dollar; the value of things.  They would have to earn smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. through good childship (Not a word but ah well.  They’d have to be an exemplary child is what I am trying to get at).  Keep the attitude down, do well in school, and keep your room orderly.  How to teach the lesson is never a constant.  Every child is different.  But still, the lesson must be learned.

But there are still a few people who haven’t been updated on the “good news”.

They’re not always ones who were around during the Civil Rights Movement or have lived in the south.  Sometimes they are as close as living in the same building, 30 feet away.

Is there anything wrong with this picture? If you answered 'No', good for you.

I say this because I recently had a very infuriating conversation with a man of Asian descent who claimed that “you will never find an Asian man who will procreate with a black woman.”  Pretty harsh, isn’t it?  What’s worse, he went on to say “I don’t like black men.”  Needless to say, I was very hurt and angered by this man’s comments.  But I decided to do what Jesus or any other decent human being would do and brush it off and try to start again.

But the next day this man was just as hostile.  At first he wouldn’t say anything to me.  So I decided that I would try to make peace with him.  But the man denied being racist and claimed that what he said was absolutely true.  He also said that “black men have done things that have made me hate them.”

I realized I would not change his mind.  I promptly left the room and have cut off all contact with this person, not a hard task as he has done the same to me.

His comments hurt me for a variety of reasons:

1. I personally know people who are of mixed black and Asian descent
2. He implied that he could never date someone like me solely on the basis of my race
3. He also implied that everyone should stick to their own kind, which means that I, someone who is half black and half white, should not exist and
4. It is an insult to every biracial couple and family, and not just those between blacks and Asians.

I shed angry tears over this.  It made me very angry at not only him, but at Asians in general.  Did they all think that way?  Do they all think they’re better than me?  Are they looking down upon and judging me?

I was on Tumblr recently and a man with an equality blog advertised that he would take questions of any kind.  So I wrote to him: “Are Asians racist against black people? If so, why?  What could we have possibly done to them?”

His response was swift, and it was a very good one: “Asians racist against Black People? Not necessarily, you can’t stereotype a whole creed as prejudiced, that would make you prejudiced also, would it not?”

I stared at it for a second.  And then I realized something:  I was doing to his people what he had done to mine, and I hadn’t even realized it.  And I thought about it, and I had never come across any others Asians who were as cruel as this man was.  Most of them had been very nice to me, and one or two have been close friends.  I had been so blinded by how hurt I was that I hadn’t realized that I was on my way to hurting someone else!

I cannot say that I like this man, or appreciate how he has treated me, but I can say that I know I am a better person because I know that you can’t judge a whole group by one bad seed.  This man is not someone I would want to spend any amount of time with, but his friends and relatives could be much nicer people that don’t feel the way he does at all.

Black people were discriminated against very harshly for many years and are still the target of prejudice in some circles and individuals.  But it doesn’t mean that black people have to hate them back.  If we want to be treated a certain way, the best thing we can do is to display it in ourselves towards others.  I guess that’s the “true” meaning of Christmas…er, I mean Black History Month.

My name is DJ Selenium and my show, Party Rock Shock, is on @ 4pm PST on Wednesdays only on KSSU.  For more information about me or the show, follow me on Twitter and Tumblr, subscribe to me on YouTube, and join my group on Facebook!  See you in the middle of the week!

Nominations  run from 2/9/12-2/17/12. You can even tweet your nomination!

The link below will take you to the nomination field.

http://blog.ratemyprofessors.com/collegeradiowoodie/

Thank you for your nomination! Go KSSU!

Despite earning a reputation as one of the most respected lyricists in hip-hop, Common is still in a sense underrated. Any time there is a top emcee list, his name doesn’t always ring a bell with many people, myself included. I enjoy his music, but for whatever reason, I don’t place him in a higher echelon than I should. That being said, his catalogue is very solid with only one real dud in Universal Mind Control (Electric Circus can also be considered coaster music depending on who you ask). So here he is with his ninth offering in The Dreamer The Believer, proving once again that Lonnie Lynn Jr. should start being considered as one of the greatest rappers to ever hold the microphone.

This album finds Common teaming up with fellow Chicago native No I.D. to deliver a great album that is sure to draw up comparisons to his reputable Resurrection and Be LPs. With one producer holding down the entire project, The Dreamer is very cohesive. No I.D. constructs a consistent sound that is one of the best projects musically this year. The production is A grade quality that is sure to please even the most critical of “purist” hip hop fans.

After what seemed to be his attempt for mainstream acceptance with Universal Mind Control, Common goes back to his hip hop roots and doesn’t miss a step. “Ghetto Dreams” has him sparring with Nas over a neck snapping, boom bap instrumental that demonstrates their lyrical prowess. Common borders the line of disrespect on “Sweet” as he gets critical of today’s group of rappers that makes one wonder who exactly is he going after. Anyone who has been following his career knows that when provoked, he can create a diss track with the best of them (a la “The B**** In Yoo”)

The strongest characteristic Common possesses as a emcee is the ability to convey his conscious side without it sounding corny. He’ll throw a track or two on his albums to go all in and body the beat, but its his social commentary that keeps the fans around. The soulfulness in his music can most certainly be felt throughout his discography and he brings it back on here with songs such as the uplifting “Blue Sky”, and “Gold”. The Maya Angelou feature in “The Dreamer” does a good job of opening up the album and has her dropping food for thought towards the end of the song.

As his father closes the album with “Pops Belief” you are left with one of the strongest rap albums this year. Sonically, its as sharp as anything you will hear. He is certainly one of the best ghetto poets the game has seen. If there is something to be nitpicky about, there can be a case made that Common maybe could have been a little better with the rhyming. The bars are serviceable, and it doesn’t interfere with the listening experience. So in the past 5 or so years, Com has dropped Be, Finding Forever, and The Dreamer The Believer. Many rappers would love to have dropped this much quality of work within a short time frame. Common has been in the game for 20 years. He has put in the work necessary to start being considered elite. He’s been consistent for too long to just be known as another good emcee.