Volume 1: The first bad date I am the textbook definition of a late bloomer. It could be due to some combination of my extremely sheltered childhood and my natural obliviousness to social cues, but I didn’t go on my first date until college. (or have a boyfriend, or even my first kiss). And maybe … Continue reading The Tragic Dating Chronicles of a Nerd in the City
Alright so, we usually do these on Mondays but today is Tuesday and we do what we want. Let’s get right into Chapter III of Ron and I’s ongoing playlist series “Trust Us, We’re Rappers”
I will say that I am writing this on the heels of what was arguably most ridiculous presidential debate of my lifetime. When the subject of race relations came up; it was so narrow and dismal and I wasn’t really pleased with either candidate’s response. Even Hilary’s, though coherent (and constitutional), still only managed to … Continue reading Descendant of Former Slave Gives You First Look at the NMAAHC. You’ll Never Guess Her Reaction (Details inside)
The most relatable part of Aziz Ansari’s great sitcom, Master of None, wasn’t the tragedy of dating in the 21st century or navigating through adulthood. I’m embarrassed to say it’s when Aziz’s friend Brian told his father a little white lie: I have to leave soon. I like to get to the movies early to play … Continue reading I Watched Designated Survivor (So You Wouldn’t Have To)
“And what is it America has failed to hear?…It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met.”
What happens when NFL teams stop being polite, and start being real? Nothing Nothing happens. I’m just arbitrarily ranking teams for Weeks 1 and 2.
In continuing with our weeklong celebration of Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, we all decided to write a review of our favorite song from the album. “But AJ, Theme Music to a Drive-By isn’t on the album”
Where were you when you came across “The Next Big Thing”? That thing that would alter your life the moment you discovered it. For me, these moments are very few in my life. I remember being in total awe as a kid while I was watching the “Southerplayalistic” video on Rap City with my big … Continue reading Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor Reflection by @RonQuixote_ #FnL10thAnniversary
I’m not going to say I’m never wrong because that would be a bold ass lie. I can say, however, that I try not to speak unless I’m totally informed on a subject. One subject I’m completely informed on is how much the Eagles are intent on ruining my life. They make head-scratching decisions and … Continue reading Admitting You’re Wrong is Half the Battle
Well folks, it is Monday again and Ron and I are here to save the day. You know how we do. Here is Chapter II of our ongoing playlist series “Trust Us, We’re Rappers”, if you haven’t checked out Chapter I yet, please do so here.
It’s September 19, 2006 at around 1:40PM CDT and my eyes are bulging from my head while my jaw is on my chest as I listen to two of the greatest Emcees ever rap on the same song. To understand how I got here, though, I have to go back a bit further in time. … Continue reading #FnL10thAnniversary Reflections on @LupeFiasco FnL 10 Years Later
Last week’s slate of matchups featured some of the most highly contested games we’ve seen in a collective week. As we head into Week 2, all the questions are on the table. We’ll try and make sense of it all this week and prepare for our first set of power rankings next week.
I don’t have to explain myself to you. I come around when I please. I’m the useless boyfriend that has been eating you out of house and home and dropping you off at work using your car to cheat on you. Yup. I forgot to post the pick results last week, that’s my bad bro. I’m … Continue reading College Football: Week 1/2 Pick Results
Today we release Chapter I of the ongoing playlist series “Trust Us, We’re Rappers”. Ok, maybe we are not actually rappers but, semantics. You should still trust us. Every Monday your ears will be blessed with a playlist curated by Ron and Kels featuring 10-12 recently released tracks that we simply can not stop listening … Continue reading Trust Us, We’re Rappers: Chapter I [Weekly Playlist]
You ever heard that saying “too much of a good thing won’t be good for long”? Well, whoever said that, must have known Streaming was coming down the pipes. Look, I LOVED cake when I was in middle school, I once thought it was a good idea to eat cake for every meal for 2 … Continue reading Streaming is Killing Music
“We got two beers. They was the big ones doe, they was the big ones”
In case you haven’t heard the news, the Minnesota Vikings have traded for Eagles incumbent starter Sam Bradford. They didn’t just trade for Sam Bradford, oh no, nope, they gave up a 1st and 4th (2018) rounder for him.
I am not an expert by any means. There are scouts in the NFL who are amazing at what they do. They see things in prospects that the untrained eye can’t see. On the other hand, there are a lot of guys who are terrible at their jobs. There are decisions made that are head … Continue reading Why Does the NFL Suck at Evaluating QBs?
We’ve been waiting on this moment since Von Miller and the Broncos shut down the Dab in February. Since the 1st overhyped Spring Game that we all salivated over. Since the NFL cancelled the Hall of Fame Game.
The NFL goes through fads. Like an old pair of flare jeans in your mom’s closet, philosophies might become outdated then “in” again. Trent Richardson nearly ruined it for everyone. He bombed so hard that teams were afraid to even take an RB in round 2. After a successful campaign by Todd Gurley, going in the … Continue reading The Year of the Running Back
“When there’s significant change, and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”
Like a few other of my posts, this idea came from a debate on twitter. I asked a question a twitter that turned into a larger conversation. This led to some interesting responses and side conversations. Then I began to ponder…what is the absolute greatest superhero movie of all time. It was hard thinking of … Continue reading The 10 Greatest Superhero Movies of All Time featuring @AJ_Phx and @RonQuixote_
I’m Robert Raimon Roy As in that boy from the cul-de-sac of Provost Court: Still Jacksonville, Florida It’s alright if you haven’t quite heard of Rob Roy. He’s not a household name by any means and isn’t one of the most established artists in the underground realm. His style is jittery, spastic and at times … Continue reading Rob Roy is “Johnny” on the Spot with New EP
Hi. I’m a nobody. But I’m a nobody with an opinion, and you’re going to read it. I like to argue with people, it’s the primary reason I want to go on Big Brother, so I can make everyone mad and come in 6th. “What happened to the playoff series you were working on?” I … Continue reading ESPN Got The QB Tiers Wrong…Let Me Fix It For You
Previous: “Why Suicide Squad Can’t Suck” In addition to AJ, Sky is here also. No introductions this time around, I’m going to just jump straight into. Jesus Christ Lord, where do I begin? Ah, I got it! Let me start off with a story. After Batman & Robin, ideas were pitched for the next … Continue reading Suicide Squad Review featuring @AJ_Phx,@CheesusSlice, and @RonQuixote_
A wormhole is defined as “a hypothetical connection between widely separated regions of space-time”. Pretty much meaning how the f*^& did I end up on Mexican Fireworks Porn (seriously hope this isn’t a real niche) when all I was doing was researching Mimosa recipes? Sorry guys, unfortunately, this isn’t a post about strange porn findings. … Continue reading Wormhole Gems
The court of public opinion has always tried to make the rest of Black Hippy like the The Temptations and Kendrick Lamar as the group’s David Ruffin. Outside of Q’s Habits and Contradictions, Soul’s Control System, and Jay Rock’s 90059, there wasn’t much of a case to be made to disprove this. I’ve always … Continue reading Schoolboy Q-Blank Face LP [review]
The Killing Joke is a title that needs no introduction. It’s a classic story that makes The Joker Batman’s arch nemesis. So of course I was excited to hear that this story would be adapted into a R-rated animated film. If it’s one thing DC does right, it’s their animation. This movie also has Kevin … Continue reading The Killing Joke [Animated Movie] Review
In America’s most recent wave of Nostalgia, Stranger Things is a Netflix original that pays homage to the sometimes cheesy, sometimes outrageous world of 80s sci-fi. If you’re not new to the genre, nothing about the plot of the show will surprise you, but it will definitely hold your attention. Since I … Continue reading My Random Thoughts on Stranger Things
Last week, news broke that, at least in the comics, Iron Man would no longer be a moniker worn by Tony Stark. Now, while this isn’t particularly noteworthy on it’s own since it’s not the first time Tony Stark has given up the role (his long time friend Rhodey has filled in previously), nor is it … Continue reading Black Characters Matter
When I began to type this review, I was going to tell you how Dev Hynes has no obligation to activism or social justice as a pop artist. Especially with his Blood Orange persona. His fanbase looks like that diverse group of hipster friends you see in a modern New York sitcom. His concerts look … Continue reading “Black Is…Black Ain’t”: Blood Orange – Freetown Sound [Review…kinda]
Part x out of 8 of our series continues. I don’t know how many I have left. Somebody pray for me, my fingers are acting on their own and I can’t stop them.
Oh, and I talk about the NFL.
I’ve given you as much time as I can to digest the latest season of OITNB. It was definitely one of the best seasons yet with a story line that felt pointed and strategic. The entire thing was building up to the most tragic tv moment I’ve seen in a while, the death of Poussey. … Continue reading What I learned about #Blacklivesmatter from watching OITNB (contains spoilers)
In case you’ve been living under a rock, a few Days ago Jesse Williams proved both why he is bae and why team light skin continues to prosper despite Drake’s best efforts to smear the reputation of our lighter hued brethren. If you’ve only seen the handful of quotes floating about from his speech, it’s … Continue reading Flawless featuring Jesse Williams
“The sheets and crosses turned ‘to suits and ties/
In Black America can you survive?”
Open Mike Eagle, pioneer of the Art Rap subgenre, drops a collaborative effort with producer Paul White. Can the LA-based emcee stand out in today’s rap climate?
No one knows what’s going to happen with the NFC East. Not a soul. But I want to guess anyway!
For the past week you’ve either heard, read, and/or watched coverage on the mess in the U.K. called #Brexit where the citizens voted to leave the EU by a vote of 52% to 48%, and if you’re anything like me, you were probably left dazed and confused. So like every other curious knowledge seeking person … Continue reading #Brexit For Dummies [read “Americans”]
(Before I start, I feel it only right to say that JT isn’t what prompted me to write this post, he just happened to exemplify the point of it with an ill timed tweet last night. So, it’s only right he fall on the sword.) History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes. In the … Continue reading The “Black” Pass
I love the South, and I’m pretty fond of Alabama. For all the things bad about it, I still find some good in it. Maybe its the low-cost of living, or the high rate of diabetes that’s embedded in great food, but whatever it is…I love it. So when I came across a graphic novel(which I … Continue reading Graphic Novel Review: Southern Bastards
No one can predict who will actually make the playoffs this far out. But I can sure can tell you how they’ll miss it!
I’ve grown accustomed to movie marketing schemes over time, particularly summer blockbusters. Some Most of the time, it seems cheesy and overdone. You can see the stress on the actors’ faces by the end of their press tour. But NEVER and I mean EVER have I seen forced hype of the likes of Suicide Squad. … Continue reading Why Suicide Squad Can’t Suck
That is you, “everything is rigged” guy. A grown adult crying like a child because you don’t like the result of a sporting event. “IT’S ALL RIGGED” you cry weeping tears into your smartphone, “THE NBA IS RIGGED, IT’S ALL RIGGED, THEY HAD THIS PLANNED FROM THE START.” You turn to your wall full of team … Continue reading The NBA Finals Aren’t Rigged, You’re Just A Sore Loser
If you missed part 1 of our series, shame on you. You can find it here. Onward. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Will make the postseason if: There’s any resemblance of improvement defensively. Okay, I lied. Defense needs to be leaps and bounds better, though to their credit they have improved and found themselves a bonafide corner … Continue reading How Every NFC South Team Can Make/Miss The Postseason
Hard to believe we’re almost to the midpoint of the year but here we are. As usual, I’m here to offer my useless opinion about the best, excuse me, my favorite albums of the year. (Changing verbiage to avoid pontification) My disclaimer still stands the same as it does every year: 1) This is simply … Continue reading Ron’s Favorite Albums of 2016 (So Far)
Originally posted on Sport.Music.Life.:
The major free agency moves have been made, the draft has concluded. Teams have begun OTAs and will prepare for training camps in a few weeks. Barring any major injuries or trades, our rosters for the 2016 NFL season are pretty much set. Every team believes they can make…
You are going to die. It sucks but that’s life. Relax, this post isn’t here to bum you out and make you start looking at your life. This post is a warning. There are people out there that are GOING to paint your Facebook wall and Twitter mentions with self absorbed nonsense. These people will … Continue reading Can I Just Lie Here? The 5 People You See On Social Media When Someone Dies
After the horrible X3: The Last Stand, Fox was left clueless about what to do with the X-Men franchise. Many ideas were thrown around but ultimately they decided to do a soft reboot. This brought on X-Men: The First Class. Although it had its imperfections, it was seen as a fresh take on an exhausted … Continue reading X-Men: Apocalypse Review featuring @RonQuixote_ and @AJ_Phx
First things first, I would like to let everyone know that AJ is now a contributor to The Kids Wear Crowns. There’s a lot of superhero movies to look forward to so that means we’ll be doing a lot of reviews. But for now, let’s talk about Captain America: Civil War. I’ll let AJ go … Continue reading Captain America: Civil War Review [featuring @Aj_Phx and @RonQuixote_)
We often connect to music because of the feeling it gives us. More than the lyrics themselves, it asserts a certain vibe. We fall in love with beats and melodies and sometimes forget to dig into the lyrics themselves. I’ve been guilty of this myself. This takes me to the time where I was a … Continue reading Meet the Clampetts: How the Clintons Influenced “The Dirty South”
Unless you’ve been sleeping in a bat infested cave for the past three years, you know that Batman v Superman is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. To the shock of some , it was met with poor reviews. The reviews slam this movie so bad, they’re hilarious. Are these reviews fair? … Continue reading Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review featuring @Aj_Phx
The homie Jay Dot Rain visited HipHopDX out in LA and shot a video in the process. Still haven’t heard The Dixie Renaissance? Lucky for you, it’s not too late.
Let’s take a second to talk about our favorite 90’s Tom. No, not that one. This one. The one that introduced us to DBZ and Sailor Moon. The one that launched us into a world of anime we didn’t even know existed. Fast forward to 2016, where it’s now branched off into nearly every … Continue reading Nerdy People of Color
Over time, a few pairs have been elevated to become synonymous with greatness. Jordan and Pippen. Jack and coke. Peanut butter and jelly. Hall and Oates. Ok, in all seriousness, it’s my honor to be an acquaintance of the subjects of this interview. Kita Underwood and Lydia Langford are two friends who met almost accidentally. … Continue reading A Million and One Stories: Kay.Ann. The Creative Company (@KayAnnCreative)
I feel like Pablo!
If you know me, you already know I grew up with X-Men. Mutants have a special place in my heart, specifically Logan. I’ve always loved that Wolverine’s storyline has been explored. What I don’t appreciate is how shitty these movies have been. X-Men Origins: Wolverine seriously might be the worst damn comic movie ever. EVER. We get … Continue reading Deadpool: The Comic Movie We All Deserve
Three things that is virtually impossible for me to do: Eat wings without getting sauce on my shirt Wake up before noon on Saturdays Make a 180 degree turn on my opinion of an artist
For once, I wanna talk about Beyoncé. Because here we are, the black 90s kids, all grown up. There was Fresh Prince and Fat Albert and A Different World. There was the infamous Tip Drill video and the birth of twerking. There was our shared culture: grandmas doling out love and good cooking but god help you if … Continue reading Formation
It’s going to be really tough to top 2015. It was such a great year in music. 2016 seems promising though. Here’s my most anticipated albums of the year. 10.Anderson Paak-Malibu This one dropped last week, and yes it’s fire. Review coming soon. 10. Gorillaz-TBA The Gorillaz name hasn’t been used in years but Damon … Continue reading Ron’s Most Anticipated Albums for 2016
Finally, the top ten. I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with this list: Ron, Ronnie, Rontavious and Ron Quixote. Before I proceed, I’ll give you a chance to go back and view 50-11. Favorite Albums of the Year, according you, the reader 50-41 40-31 30-21 20-11 10. Jazz Cartier-Marauding in Paradise The biggest thing in … Continue reading My Favorite Albums of 2015 [The Top Ten]
20. Wale-The Album About Nothing Wale makes good music. He just sucks at tweeting. 19. Young Fathers-White Men Are Black Men Too There’s no way to accurately describe thsi album, so I won’t even try. 18. Freddie Gibbs-Shadow of a Doubt Probably my favorite Gangsta Gibbs album and that’s saying a lot 17. Disclosure-Caracal Disclosure is … Continue reading My Favorite Albums of 2015[20-11]
30. Mac Miller-GO:OD AM Mac has always been cool to me but he’s never really had an album that matches his potential. Well, this is the one. 29. Muse-Drones Muse has been making music that I’ve been purposely avoided for ages now, but Drones is fiyaaaaa 28. Young Thug-Barter 6 When Thugger is focused, he … Continue reading My Favorite Albums of 2015 [30-21]
40. Chvrches-Every Open Eye Everyone’s favorite electro guilty pleasure is back with this sophomore album! No “Mother We Share” this time around but it still makes for a solid outing. 39. Snoop-Bush This is seriously the album Snoop was meant to make his entire life. If Snoop wants to make funk albums for the rest … Continue reading My Favorite Albums of 2015 [40-31]
After revealing your favorite albums of 2015, I guess it’s finally time to reveal my list. After scribbling down every single album I liked this year, I came to roughly fifty. Yes, fifty. And while that seems like a ridiculous amount, I’ve listened to three times that this year. 2015 was simply a good year for music. … Continue reading My Favorite Albums of 2015 [50-41]
After allowing The People to submit their list of favorite albums for 2015, I tallied the votes. They were…interesting. Thanks for everyone who participated. Here’s the results. 1. Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp A Butterfly 2. Ty Dolla Sign-Free TC 3. Future-Dirty Sprite 2 4. The Internet-Ego Death 5. Drake/Future-What A Time to be Alive Albums that … Continue reading Your Favorite Albums of 2015
In the past, I’ve gathered the best non-rap songs and put them on a playlist. It would be a disservice to do that for 2015. This was an amazing year for music. So no matter which genres you like, you should be able to find something on this playlist you missed. You can also check … Continue reading Best of 2015 Playlist
I (foolishly) relinquished my power to my good pal Syntrell. Here’s her review of an album I probably won’t listen to until March 2016: Adele-25. So my buddy Ron the don finally agreed to let me post on his blog. And he let me cover one of the most iconic artists of our time! our fav … Continue reading Adele-25 [album review]
Why we born to be poor?
Why our fathers be gone?
Why my father forsake us?
Why my momma so strong?
On the 10 year anniversary of the release of Late Registration (which was yesterday, but it wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t late) I am going to make this post a huge love fest. Kanye’s Late Registration is his true masterstroke and, to me, still his best album to date. College Dropout came during a … Continue reading Classic in Review: Kanye West-Late Registration
“THESE CONTRACTS, THEY HAVE SIGNATURES ALL OVER THEM!”
If you read the last installment of A Million and One Stories, I told you this one was on the way soon. Well it’s finally here. Presented by DJ Burn One, here’s The Dixie Renaissance. Follow @JayDotRain on twitter and hit him up with feedback.
“This whole season was like watching a toddler throw paint everywhere. You’re like ‘what the fuck is this, this is gonna look like shit.’ Then you step back as it nears completion and you see the Mona Lisa.” -Reddit user
The Crew needs to know why sex sometimes falls off in a relationship. Plus Knick Nack describes good … box. With @Coco‘sTea. Email us comments and suggestions for topics at barbershoppod@gmail.com Tweet us at @BarbershopPod [Disclaimer: All views expressed by The Barbershop Podcast are SOLELY endorsed by Sky. Please direct any comments to @cheesusslice]
Ebony is joining me again for another True Detective recap. I’ll let her start first. So the episode this week went really fast, and I actually enjoyed it. It opened up with Ray and Frank having coffee with their guns and Frank actually making a funny “don’t you fucking shoot me Raymond.” And it ends … Continue reading True Detective: Church In Ruins Recap
I dropped by the Barbershop podcast to try to help @cheesusslice make sense our our Most Overrated Albums post.
thekidswearcrowns.com 