RZA vs. Nike 6.0

     All-Time Genius Wonder RZA has collaborated with Nike and some top extreme athletes in a series of commercials.  RZA continues to broaden his vision by continuing to work with various artists, genre's, mediums and this is no different.  Peace to the God!

Click here to see the commercials.

Only The Best For The Best

     Here's a cool video of how the Louis Vuitton World Cup Case was made.  They make it look rather easy but these are the world's best craftsmen.  The handmade custom luggage adds a very nice touch to the world's most famous trophy, FIFA's World Cup.

I Want You

     This video and jam is a Rizz favorite.  Common's I Want You, produced and featuring will.I.am, is already 4 years old and will be added to the Kings Archive.  The video has an easy theme that most can relate to, the ex getting psycho and stalking the ex-boyfriend, as he moves on.  Lots of famous friends are in the video.  Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Serena Williams, Derek and Sophia Luke all take part.  The design on the set or apartment is pretty cool as well.  Click here or watch below.

KawsLo

     Complex's August/September 2010 cover is no other than Lindsay Lohan but with the classic Kaws perspective.  Brian Donnelly throws another major assist by blessing another Complex cover and with Lindsay being one of the hottest celebrities, this is a classic.  Kaws has bombed other Complex covers in the past with artists such as N*E*R*D and The Clipse.  LiLo not only has the looks but also has the high drama lifestyle that keeps her name in constant mention.  This cover is right on time considering she just checked into jail.  Enjoy the video from Complex celebrating the cover.   Now only if I could get subscription issues on time.....hey mailman, stop reading my mags.

Flashing FlashBack

     This song is one of my favorites for no one specific reason.  The violins in the background, the driving bass, the synthesizers, the lyrics, Dwele on the hook, the video, all reason enough for this to be a Yeezy classic.  I think this song from Graduation could have fit on 808's & Heartbreak, it has that feel to it.  The video is just as intriguing as Mr. West has video vixen Rita-G extracting revenge on her lover in her barely mentionables.
Enjoy this classic here.
4.5 out of 5 Z's

Schmidt Kicks

     These are a must buy for the Nike and Phillies fan.  Nike has chosen 5 baseball players as part of their Legends pack for the Nike Trainer 1.2 Mid.  Phillies Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt is one of the selections and the sneaks are fashioned after the throwback maroon, white, and blue colors that he wore.  It also has his number and the year he won the World Series on the back heel as well.  More info here.

Post World Cup Depression

     So I thought my brother and I were the only ones who had this.  What do you do after a month of no work, getting drunk before noon and listening to Vuvezela's all day....and oh yeah, watch every game of the World Cup?  It's sad to know that the tournament is over and you have to wait another 4 years to witness the globe's best sporting event.  This article is amusing for others who are feeling post World Cup Depression.  At least the Premier League will start in a few weeks and the MLS is in full form.  Not the same, but it will have to do.

Cheddar Burning A Hole In Your Pocket?

     Saving money can be a very difficult thing to do in tough economic times.  The thing is that most people don't save when times are good.  It's easy to find things to spend money on from clothes, vacations, going out to eat and of course....sneakers.  That gives us instant gratification, but that only lasts so long.  Here's an article that brings up some great points about how spending too much can hold us back from security and consistent life.  Click here to read.

On The Plane With Spain

     This is a neat video of the victorious Spanish National Team on their flight home after winning the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.  The flight crew presents a cake to the winners and you can see the jubilation on all of their faces.  Villa, Ramos, Pique, Iniesta, Puyol are all seen enjoying being kings of the world.



Here's another great video of Spain celebrating their Semi-final win over Germany by singing and chanting while doing the human train.  Doing all this while Germany's Schweinsteiger tries to give a post game interview.  Pretty funny.

Jordan Judges Who Is Best..Kobe or Lebron

   Straight from the GOAT's mouth, Michael Jordan states that right now Kobe Bryant is better than Lebron James.  Hard to argue, Kobe = 5 rings,  LeBreezy = 0 rings.

The Social Network

     This looks like it should be interesting and more buzz has been growing lately.  "The Social Network" is based on the creators of Facebook.  Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg and it definitely doesn't look like facebook was a peaceful creation.  Should be out in October.

New York looks a little French

     One of soccer's most famous names. Thierry Henry, as joined the New York Red Bulls pro soccer team this week.  It's as big a splash as when David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy a few years ago.  The MLS is looking to build off the momentum of the World Cup in America and bring in some big name players.  Yes, we know he's not the goal scoring machine he was when he played with some of the world's  most famous clubs, Juventus, Aresenal and Barcelona, but his resume is second to none.  He's won pretty much every trophy including the 1998 World Cup as a French International.  He loves New York City and he's looking forward to representing the team and league.  The Red Bulls also have a brand new stadium that is really fantastic, so the timing is right as well.  Some are skeptical if this will be successful, but I already think it has been as I think the opinion of the MLS is changing in a very good way.  Beckham, Henry, and numerous other big names are rumored to join the MLS as well.  It's becoming a viable option for stars later in their career and their experience on the global level can only help the other players on these clubs and also garner more recognition for the teams and league.  Here's a nice highlight reel of Henry so you can get familiar.  I for one look forward to seeing him on the pitch here in the US. Click here or see below.

The Little Wizard!

     Great video of all 47  goals that the Little Wizard scored in La Liga  in the 2009-2010 season.  Lionel Messi is the world's best player and absolutely amazing to watch.   The Argentine national plays forward for FC Barcelona, the back to back Liga Champions and last year's EUFA Champions League Championship.  Click here for the video.

Sir Alex Stateside

     Great to hear from one of the all time greats comment on US Soccer and the MLS.  Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of the most popular soccer team in the world, Manchester United, provides this interview.
He answers questions at Toyota Park in Chicago as the Red Devils embark on their US tour, including playing in the MLS All-Star game against the MLS's best players.

Paul the Mystic Octopus

     Who knew the world's biggest sporting event, the World Cup, could be easily predicted?  Paul, that's who.  Check the article out about the prognosticating cephalopod who correctly chose the winner for 8 World Cup matches.

Nash Owns WhiteCaps

     It's well known that NBA All-Star, Steve Nash, is an avid soccer fan.  What I didn't know is that he is so much of a fan, he also owns part of a new MLS expansion team.  The Vancouver Whitecaps will start play in 2011.  Nash was part of the 2 year campaign to bring a MLS soccer team to Vancouver, which is in his home provence of British Columbia.  Additional information and comments can be found here.

Deuces aka Clint Dempsey

     I knew US Men's National Soccer Team's Clint Dempsey had a bit of an edge to his game and himself.  What I didn't know was that he was a hip hop artist on the side!  He goes by his nickname, Deuces, and as you can see with his rap video, he's repping the streets of Texas, where he grew up.   Hailing from Nagadoches,  South Texas near the Mexican border, he joins Big Hawk and XO on the track "Don't Tread" which is one of the mantra's of the US Men's Team (Don't Tread On Me).  With more than a million views, I'm a little late checking out Deuces.  He also pays tribute to his sister at the end by dedicating the video to her and then showing him leave flowers at her place of rest.  She passed away when they were growing up.  This enabled his parents to continue Clint playing soccer, so he dedicates everything to his sister, which explains in his hunger for the game....and also lyrics.  The ESPN segment that tell's his story, it's a must see if you haven't, is also below (sorry for quality, original links are now gone).  While on the topic of Deuces, he scored one of the nicest goals ever for his club side Fulham against legendary, Italian club, Juventus this year in a Europa League Quarterfinal that got his team to the next round.  See the video below to see the goal (and replay over and over).  World class goal.
It will be very interesting to see where Clint goes this fall.  There's been rumors of him leaving the English Premier League and maybe playing in Italy's top league, Serie A with either Napoli or AC Milan.  Wherever he ends up, Deuces will be representing US soccer and fighting 100%.

Spies Like Us

     Wanted to make sure everybody did see this and there are real life 007's.  We just caught a gaggle of Russian spies here in the States and we "traded" them back to Russia for some of our own jailed agents.  They said the end result was to keep relations between the US and Russia at peace.  Works for me as long as we realize that spies are still among us.  Watch em Jim!

Best Sneakers Ever

I've already missed the Space Jam release and the Jordan 25th Anniversary editions of the Air Jordan XI's. I can not miss these. The Cool Grey colorway has been confirmed for a December 2010 release. Just in time to get on everyones holiday wish list. One of my all time favorite sneakers.  Courtesy of SneakerNews of course.

Sippin On That Sizzurp...

Jemarcus Russell getting arrested for possession of prescription cough syrup with Codeine has brought the topic into the spotlight. ESPN Outside The Lines has a good video that pretty much explains the whole phenomenon of the illegal usage of this prescription drug. A lot of people aren't that familiar with this but most hip hop fans would tell you that it's been around for quite some time. DJ Screw in Houston, TX was a pioneer but passed away from using the illegal substance. Same with Pimp C from the legendary rap duo UGK who also passed away from the usage of the cough syrup. The usage has still been prominent with songs from 3 6 Mafia's "Sippin on That Sizzurp.." and Lil Wayne constantly references it in his lyrics and has been seen openly drinking it.

Kaws Exhibition in Connecticut 2010

KAWS Museum Exhibit Opening from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

This is a cool video that's from the Kaws Exhibition Opening at the The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. It includes a retrospective showing of a bunch of different mediums of his work from art to vinyl to sculptures to graphic design. The solo exhibition goes from June 27, 2010 to January 2, 2011. His mix of street and pop culture make for great displays at his shows. I definitely plan to attend very soon and will provide an in person re-cap.

How to Get Over the World Cup Hangover

Here's a little video from video vixen, Rosa Acosta and friends, to help you get over the World Cup almost being over. By now, most fans favorite teams have been eliminated and we have to wait another 4 years before we can get another chance at the planets most coveted trophy.
Who knows, I might even kids by then, but in the mean time, I have Rosa to console me.

Mwanga es Numero Uno

This is a great highlight video of 2010 MLS Number One Overall Draft Pick for the Philadelphia Union. As he scored his 5th goal in his last 6 games, Danny Mwanga, is really coming on as a leading scoring threat for the 1st year franchise. Along with the Frenchmen, Sebastian Le Toux, and midfielder Torres, the Union have shown the ability to create scoring opportunities and finish. Let's not forget that he's still 18, turning 19 this July. The sky's the limit. Shout out to 723FootballFilms for putting this video together.

New Look at Brooklyn

     Pretty cool video from Gregory Solenstrom.  The music is slightly different than the album version  of Hello Brooklyn 2.0 produced by Bigg D. I'm going to try and find out who did this one, but none the less, enjoy the creativity.

Jay Z - "Hello Brooklyn" from Greg Solenström on Vimeo.

Two Stars Making Heat - Rozeezy

     Rick Ross and Kanye West have just released their new collaboration called "Live Fast, Die Young" and looks like Yeezy is continuing on his hip hop comeback.  The music he produced on his latest single "Power" and the beat he produced on this track sound more like his usual catalog, previous to 808's and Heartbreak (and even Graduation).  Rick Rozay is pretty much the hottest thing going in hip hop right now and it only makes sense for these artists to make magic.  Listen to what Kanye says about the collabo here. Great to see him making classics again after hiding out a bit.

Plastic Bottles = US Soccer Jersey

     I thought this was super cool and now we have an explanation.  I bought my 2010 US Mens' National Team Donovan jersey to support our squad and he's my favorite player with my favorite number.  (Pause) I also found out when they unveiled the new jersey in May that it was actually made from recycled plastic bottles?!?!  Yeah, plastic bottles.  How they do that??  Well we have a pretty good explanation below, check it out.  Go Green, Red, White, and Blue!!

Philly Always Loved McNabb

     Donovan McNabb will be one of my favorite Eagles of all time, yes, I said it.  In an age of players who get in trouble every other weekend for guns, drugs, booze, sexual assualts, this man represented our club better than anyone.  He had tremendous success and you can't blame not winning a Super Bowl on one person.  He gave us much more happy times than bad ones and let's all remember what the Eagles were before he got here.....exactly.  Anyway, I was personally pleased to hear his comments in this interview when asked about Philly and his relationship, since he is now a Redskin....still sounds terrible.

Check it out here.