Published inFar From Professional·PinnedRap Kumite 1: André 3000 vs. The Notorious B.I.G.I took my 20 favorite rappers and put them in head-to-head matchups to battle for their rank in Rap Kumite. In the final Rap Kumite, an extraterrestrial from ATL takes on Brooklyn’s finest for the number 1 spot. The 10-week publishing schedule that I committed myself to for this Rap Kumite series has been exhausting. I love music, and I love rap music, so it shouldn’t have been a chore to plow through a few hundred songs between July and September. That part is true; it wasn’t hard…Hip Hop9 min readHip Hop9 min read
Published inFar From Professional·Pinned25 Years Later: Evil EmpireRATM’s follow-up to their scorching debut carried the fire. — Sometimes, we love an album because it’s a work of sonic wonder. The composition of the music, the power of the lyrics, the craft in the production all come together with synergy and harmony. There are also times when we love an album because it attaches to our spirits. That…Music9 min readMusic9 min read
Published inSudden Impact·2 days agoMember-onlyNot Soon EnoughAlice knows a change is coming, just not tonight. — At twenty-two, Alice Helm is beginning to see her life take shape. She’s crawling her way through general ed classes at Lewis College, a two-year journey now approaching year four; but it’s like her dad used to tell her, “The journey is what makes the dream come true.” It’s never…Fiction4 min readFiction4 min read
Published inFar From Professional·Jun 1Member-onlyNBA Playoffs: The FinalsIn the final round of the NBA playoffs, the wire-to-wire best team in the West takes on the scrappy underdog Heat, who caught fire at the right time. — It’s okay to be wrong; it’s okay to make mistakes. The great ones have all done it, and so have the regular ass ones. We’ve all been there, and we’ll no doubt be there again in the future. …NBA3 min readNBA3 min read
May 28Member-onlyMay 2023We’re lucky if we make it into old age. — A lot can change in nine months. Hard to believe another school year is wrapping up. My wife, a teacher, is excited to be relieved of the stress that comes with her work. Our daughter, a fourth grader, is bummed that her school year will soon be concluding. One of…Star Wars4 min readStar Wars4 min read
Published inFar From Professional·May 24Member-onlyReturn of the Jedi: 40 Years and the Force is Still StrongEpisode six in the nine-movie Star Wars saga is an entertaining conclusion to the beloved Original Trilogy. — This isn’t much of a retrospective since I was a wee little one when Return of the Jedi was first released, and I didn’t get to experience what is was like to see the film on its first theatrical run. I love Star Wars, especially the Galactic Civil War era…Star Wars10 min readStar Wars10 min read
Published inFar From Professional·May 16Member-onlyNBA Playoffs: Round 3The path to the top of the mountain runs through elite defense, unstoppable offense, All-Stars, and a couple of former MVPs. — For one team, the path to the top of the NBA mountain took them right to the defending champions, the historically dominant Golden State Warriors. That team went to five straight NBA Finals (2015–2019), won three of them, then took a couple years off before they won another title last…NBA4 min readNBA4 min read
Published inFar From Professional·May 15Member-only‘It’s Dark and Hell is Hot’: 25 Year AnniversaryDMX’s debut album introduced us to rap’s most complicated anti-hero. — On “A Star Is Born”, Jay-Z opens the track with, “I seen Mase do it, I seen Ye do it X came through, caught lighter fluid” This is an accurate description of what happened in 1998 when DMX blazed through hip-hop after a decade of rapping. He scorched the scene…Rap5 min readRap5 min read
Published inFar From Professional·May 1Member-only2023 NBA Playoff Predictions: Round 2Biased basketball opinions in a sea of objectivity. — The first round of these NBA playoffs has been exciting unless you’re a Bucks or Clippers fan. Injuries derailed your playoff aspirations, and I thought the Clips had a great shot at winning it all this year. They just couldn’t stay healthy, which I find ironic since they load managed…NBA4 min readNBA4 min read
Apr 29Member-onlyApril 2023When the singularity takes place, Drake and The Weeknd will usher in the apocalypse. — Inside the Dojo of My Mind Is there anyone else out there who has been writing a book for the last 6+ years? Yuck. That’s pathetic. It’s taken too long. I wouldn’t feel like such a pile of crap about it if I was an established writer, like George R. R. Martin or Patrick Rothfuss. They…Blog4 min readBlog4 min read
