Shoe Game

Teens Arrested | ABC.com

This brings back so many memories. Two teens were arrested in Houston for breaking in to steal Air Jordans, after entering the store through a hole that they cut in the roof. I wish I could say this is the craziest shoe-stealing scheme I've seen, but it's far from it.

Regular readers of this site know I'm into shoes. In my younger days, I worked at a shoe store off and on for several years. My time in the shoe business overlapped with the rise of Nike's retro movement, and I worked enough release dates to tell  you that people loose their fucking minds for these shoes. When the 'Briefcase' Jordan released, a kid was robbed for the shoes off of his feet as well as the carrying case. (The idea of a carrying case for shoes is ridiculous, even in the context of shoe collectors - but clearly an effective marketing strategy. Coincidentally, that shoe was released during MJ's time with the Wizards, and that shoe was much like his career at that point: A diminished product wrapped in unnecessarily flashy packaging.) As discussed here previously, release dates are quite a thing to see. For non-sneakerheads, the sight is downright ridiculous. I've seen people jump over railings, push, punch, yell, fight, even crawl under the gates at the front door, all for the 'opportunity' to purchase overpriced shoes. For those 'lucky' enough to grab a pair, the adventure is nowhere near over. Once the shoes are yours, you now get to experience your own version of "The Warriors" as you attempt to traverse the mall and its parking lot, all the while keeping an eye out for the various groups who now have now put a price on your feet.

And for what? That night, literally everyone and their mom will have on those shoes. Lupe hit the nail on the head when he said that the only people you're showing off for are your "...fellow loyal customers". Not to mention that these are only a big deal until the next shoe drops, and that's usually less than a month away. By then, you'll see the same people in line, many with last-month's highly coveted sneakers, now dirtied and creased. /rant

So anyway, these kids entered the store through a hole they cut in the roof. That's definitely an advanced move, but it's not the first time it's been done. The same thing happened at the Foot Locker in East St. Louis a few years ago. In that case they used a stolen circular saw to cut through, and by dumb luck they just barely missed cutting into a power line. A similar technique is to break in through the service entrance found in the back of mall stores. Some people cut out the middleman and just rob the train or delivery truck. Numerous people, frustrated with the demeaning nature of retail employment, find themselves involved in inside jobs. (For the most part, these are usually poorly planned and executed, and come off a lot more like "Half Baked" than "Ocean's 11".) Trust me, if you can dream it, somebody's probably tried it.

Sadly, these kids will probably end up locked away for a while. Coincidentally, these kids will probably end up working prison jobs for pennies per hour, just like the kids who made the shoes in the first place.

He Got Game

Dream Team 2K13 | HipHopWired

As you've probably heard, Jay-Z is the 'executive producer' of NBA 2K13. Up to this point, the only reason to care has been the improved soundtrack for this year. Now, though, we find out that Jay has supposedly orchestrated the inclusion of both the 2012 and 1992 olympic teams. Hopefully this sets the record straight about which team was better, in case you actually believe this year's team could beat the original 'Dream Team.'

The most interesting part of this story is the inclusion of Charles Barkley and the absence of Scottie Pippen. Sir Charles is not a member of the NBA's Retired Player Association, (which is a thing, btw) so he had to negotiate separately, but will be included in the game. Pippen, however, will not. This is weird because he is a member of the association, so you would assume he would have the same deal as any other member. I have a feeling that Jordan may have pulled a few strings on this one. Remember earlier this year, when Scottie made the statement that Lebron might be better than Mike? Something tells me His Airness wanted to make a statement, but not you know, with his words and stuff. Since MJ and Jay seem to have pretty similar career management styles, I'm sure Jay was on board with the move.

If anything, Jay is likely taking notes. He's probably already planning a Rocafella Records greatest hits album with 9 Memph Bleek tracks and no Beans or Freeway.

Rrrrruuunnhhh!

In the newest Rolling Stone, dropping on Friday, Rozay will finally speak on his career as a corrections officer. In the past, he's alluded to using his position to gain access to Noriega, (the real Noriega) and thus coke connections. He likes to make it sound like he can't speak on the issue due to possible legal consequences, but does anybody actually believe that? What's next - is he gonna tell us that DJ Khaled represents his connections in the Middle East? Something tells me he wouldn't be doing this if he really was ever on the radar of law enforcement, because it tends to cause problems. Just ask this guy:

The Real

The most realistic rap video I've seen in quite some time.

Weed is a Helluva Drug Too

A fur coat with no shirt, and his facial expression is still the most unsettling part of this picture.

Watch out Rozay

Freeway Ricky | HipHopDx

"Freeway" Ricky Ross, a.k.a The Real Rick Ross, lost yet another lawsuit against William Roberts (Rozay) for stealing his name and identity.For those not familiar with the 'work' of the real Rick Ross (you probably just like how it smells), let's discuss.

(For the purpose of clarity, when I say Ross, I mean the real one. I'll refer to The Human Wing Stop by any number of his other monikers.)

Ricky Ross is a former LA drug kingpin. And I mean a real kingpin, not some rapper with bricks photoshopped on his mixtape cover. He earned the nickname 'Freeway' due to his proliferation of drug houses along LA's freeways. At his peak, he made an estimated $2 - $3 million off cocaine per day across the country. Although not the inventor of crack, he helped to spread knowledge of the necessary techniques to convert cocaine into it's more profitable form. (I'm sure I read it somewhere, but can't seem to find it now, that he popularized the use of microwaves for making crack.) Before his name was used by rappers, Ross became famous for his links to the Iran-Contra scandal. As originally detailed by Gary Webb in his 'Dark Alliance' series of articles, Ross was a part of a CIA plot to funnel Nicaraguan cocaine into America. Over the years, more elaborations of this story have surfaced, such as 'Powder Burns', by former CIA agent Celerino Castillo, and the Kevin Booth documentary 'American Drug War.' (Quick side note here: Gary Webb died of a supposed suicide in 2004, although he died from two gunshots to the head, so make of that what you will.) Long story slightly shorter, Rick Ross is part of the reason people claim the government pushed crack into black neighborhoods.(The other reason is that they did.)

Rick was incarcerated from 1996 until 2009, during which time both Freeway and Rawse became popular rappers. I mention Freeway only to illustrate that Ross could sue him as well, but hasn't. I've never heard Ross say it, but I get the feeling that he doesn't mind people taking his look, (bald with a beard is hard to pull off anyway) or his nickname, but taking his government name and spinning tales of cocaine superstardom is where he draws the line. When the pictures of Rozay as a prison guard surfaced, Ross ratcheted up his pursuit of financial compensation for Rawse's 'identity theft.' Several years and three decisions later, Ross is still empty-handed. In this brief clip of an interview, he points out that the judge in his latest case was formerly a lawyer for Universal (which is essentially the only music label in existence.)



So now, people in LA are ready to do something to The Bawse. Suge Knight, who apparently does care  if you steal his look, and others are ready to put a 'no fly zone' on Officer Ricky for LA. How that would work, I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that moving coke like Ross did means that you know people in airports, or maybe just people with guns. Somebody should just steal Rozay's 'seizure kit' and let the chips fall as they may. (No pun intended)