My Top 10: Bad Chicks I've Had Crushes On

...and I say bad not meaning bad, but bad meaning good. So the only prerequisite for this list is that I found you attractive, and was really into you at some point. So voila...


10. Stacey Dash - Way back when, when Clueless dropped, I was like "who's dat?" I had an uber crush until the early 2000's, but she'll always hold a special place in my heart.



9. Taraji Henson - Despite always being type-casted, she genuinely seems like the "ride or die" chick. Man...listen, she makes the list because she has that "Around the Way Girl" appeal, and ever since Baby Boy, she's stolen a piece of me.



8. Layleigh Kayleigh - as soon as this bombshell joined the cast of AOTS, I lost it. Her accent is adorable, and her promos for "the FEED" are hilarious. She's sooo FLY



7. Maia Campbell - Okay, I'll get a lot of backlash for this one, but remember, the prerequisite is that I had a crush at some point in my life. We've seen the crazy pics, we've heard the rumors, but we can't deny how dope she was back on the short lived sitcom "In The House". DAMNNNNN... when being fly goes wrong.



6. Pink - Yeah.. uh huh... I have a thing for Pink. She's outspoken, intelligent, and "Missundaztood" is one of my favorite albums. I've always found her cute, but I guess the artiste in me, finds her creative side sexy. I do miss the dyed hair, motorcycle riding, rooftop jumping Pink of the past, but she's evolved into something so much greater, that she's still fly.



5. Lauryn Hill - my crush goes as far back as the "Nappy Heads" video when she still had the short do. By the time she dropped her solo album, I was in love. She's brilliant, and one of the most sincere voices to grace Hip-Hop. Lauryn...I'll always love you.



4. Jada Pinkett Smith - I've loved her since she was the street smart college girl on "A Different World". I love how petite she is, and I think she's stunning. I'm admittedly a hater, and mad that Will Smith got to her 1st.



3. Nia Long - This was a tough one, but only because 3 and 4 are interchangeable. I love them both, but I gotta give it to Nia. Whether she was on the Fresh Prince or Love Jones, I was a groupie. She's FNE!!! I think she gets the notch up too because she's West Indian. Hopefully I'll meet her and we can talk over a boneless chicken Roti and Sorrel.



2. Sanaa Lathan - OMG!!! I'd really wife this chick...in a heartbeat. Something about her just speaks to me in a crazy way. I've always found her to be incredibly beautiful, and being in movies that used Hip-Hop as a backdrop for love only cemented her position. I'm still going goo goo gah gah for her to this very day.



1. Alicia Keys - I don't care what anyone says, but she is "The Prototype". She walks the very thin line between being street savvy and incredibly cultured. She is the best thing going in music today, and on top of it all, she's GORGEOUS!!

An Afterthought....

another song I wish I wrote is "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" by Chris Brown (corrected by anonymous). Yes, yes, yes...another R&B song, but its so innocent. Its brilliant. It isn't about sex, but about wanting to dance. How novel, a song about seeing a pretty girl and only wanting to dance. Dope!!!

My Top 10: Songs I Wish I Wrote

I'm back!!! Happy New Year to all, and I hope '09 will bring everyone great times, lots of laughter, more money, and a step closer to actualizing your potential. Being my 1st post for the year, I figured I'd set it off with one of my lists... so here we go.

10. Lions, Tigers, and Bears by Jazmine Sullivan (off of her debut, Fearless)
Okay, so this is a new song, but I thinks its beautiful. It sounds orchestral, yet minimal. I really wish I could have articulated the "fear of love" the way she did. I think anyone that's ever truly opened their heart can relate to this at some point, and its presented from a unique & fresh perspective.

9. Superstar 2 by Usher (off of Confessions)
So this is a simple, but dope metaphor comparing your significant other to a superstar. With lyrics like "I'll be your groupie baby cause you are my superstar. I'm your number one fan, give me your autograph, and sign it right here on my heart." DOPE!! It was one of those joints that really made me say, "Why didn't I think of it first."

8. Stan by Eminem (off the Marshall Mathers LP)
Here is a song that is very much in the scope of something I could have thought of and written, but to be honest, I doubt it would have been executed as well. I wouldn't have thought to flip a Dido song, and it probably wouldn't have had such a climactic ending. Props to Em for penning one of the best Hip-Hop songs in recent memory. Everything from his inflections to his his rhyme schemes were brilliant.

7. Stray Bullet by Organized Konfusion (off Stress: The Extinction Agenda)
Despite many people thinking NaS was the first to use personification in regards to a gun on "I Gave You Power", any self respecting Hip-Hop fan knows Prince Po & Pharoahe did it 2-3 years earlier. AND, in my opinion, they did it better. They literally talked about the bullet's trajectory. C'mon, you gotta give it up.

6. She's All I Got by Jimmy Cozier
Back when J Records was all the rage because Clive Davis started his own label, he had another dope songwriter besides Alicia Keys. His name was Jimmy and he crafted the perfect ode for dudes that have headaches for girlfriends, but love them. I still play this song religiously because I can relate.

5. Prototype by Andre 3000
"I hope that you're the one. If not, you're the prototype." Genius! I wish I thought of that one because I would have used that as game on every girl I ever met. LOL. Seriously though, another amazing record written from a dope perspective.

4. Ordinary People by John Legend
I will never forget the first time I heard this song. There's not much I can say about this one other than he hit the nail on the head. With the current state of music, I didn't think anyone could write anything this beautiful. He proved me wrong.

3. Dear Mama by 2Pac
This song dropped right around the time I lost my mom, and every time I heard it I was on the verge of tears. I'm a huge Pac fan because he wasn't afraid to be vulnerable, and this song epitomized that notion. Since the release of this song there have been lots of "mama" dedications, but none of them tugged on our heart strings the way Pac's did. It was remarkably genuine, and to me, stands as his career defining song.

2. Next Lifetime by Erykah Badu
No one has ever captured such a universal sentiment the way this song did. I don't know anyone that can deny that they've been in this predicament before. The conflict of being in a relationship, and still being attracted to someone is else is part of the maturation process and discovering yourself. Besides the lyrics, the song was smooth, melodic, and downright brilliant. Kudos

1. Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder
This is the single most beautiful song I've ever heard. I'm green with envy.

This list also confirms that I'm a frustrated singer trapped in a rapper's body. Oh well

My Top 10: Favorite Black Sitcoms

Well it's Friday, and I haven't posted much in a while. I have lots to tell everybody out there in the blogosphere, plus I have new music coming ASAP. Since I'm back on my grizzly, here's the Friday special...

10. Fresh Prince of Bel Air - At 1st I found it hokey, but came to appreciate the later seasons. Plus as a gear head, it was dope to see what knits Carlton would be rocking

9. The Wayans Bros. - Other than the Jamie Foxx Show, this was the only respectable WB offering, and a solid one at that.

8. Good Times - I didn't enjoy it as a kid, but I do now despite the stereotypes.

7. 227 - I loved this show, and I'm angry its not syndicated more. This show single handily type-casted Jackee Harry for the rest of her career.

6. Living Single - Just a solid show that had one of the most memorable intro songs

5. A Different World - It had the Cosby charm and started my love affair with Jada

4. The Bernie Mac Show - Hilarious, and one of the best written shows in recent memory. I always thought the Mac man was funny, but for me, this cemented his genius.

3. The Jeffersons - It was mildly controversial, but also PC in a very different time

2. Martin - This was arguably the funniest

1. The Cosby Show - In my estimation, the greatest piece of television ever created

before you get your panties in a bunch, I didn't include Chappelle or In Living Color, because they were sketch comedies. There are some honorable mentions, and others that I didn't include because they are too new to really judge. Either way, discuss, tell me your favs, and holla @ me. 1

My Top 10: Favorite Video Games

I've been on a crazy video game trip since Nintendo's conference. Here's my list in no particular order

Resident Evil 4 - Gamecube
Super Mario World -SNES
Street Fighter 2 Turbo Edition -Arcade/SNES
NBA Jam TE - Arcade
Viewtiful Joe - Gamecube
WWF No Mercy - N64
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - N64
Donkey Kong Country - SNES
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Arcade
Final Fight - Arcade/SNES

Honorable Mention
Super Metroid - SNES
Metal Gear Series - Multi-platform
NBA Street Vol 2 - Multi-platform

I swear I invested countless hours or quarters playing these games.

My Top 10: Favorite Emcees

This is a tough one, but in no particular order...well maybe sorta

1. Slick Rick - His charisma is unparalleled and the greatest storyteller Hip-Hop has ever had
2. Big Daddy Kane - The prototype! He was the guy every dude wanted to be and the guy every girl wanted to be with. Unmatched versatility
3. Grand Puba - A fashion icon beyond his time. He truly embodies swagger
4. Jay-Z - Quite possibly the greatest contributor to current Hip-Hop. He is truly the ambassador, plus he mastered & redefined the conversational flow.
5. Black Thought - Rhythmically the best. Very few can control their flow as well as he does, and he does one hell of an impersonation of my favorites.
5. Nas - when he is on, he is brilliant
6. Common - Some may argue that # 5 holds the title, but I'd argue that Comm is the greatest pure poet in Hip-Hop. His transition from thought to thought is out of this world!!
7. 2Pac - no one showed as much vulnerability and touched our hearts in the way he could. He gets the award for most conviction & passion.
8. B.I.G - In 1 word; charming. In 2 words; captivating. He also laid the blueprint for commercial success
9. Ghostface - A great storyteller and the king of incoherent thoughts. Easily one of the most entertaining to just listen to.
10. Ludacris - before you get your panties in a bunch, dude is deceptively ILL. He can literally out-rhyme the best, but you would never know based on how popular he is, and how big his songs are. In 1 word; underrated!!!

It should also be noted that this list is based on "MY" current taste and is relative to time. I obviously have favorites like Eminem, Pun, Redman, & Andre that I didn't include. These are my favorites as of today. The true school crowd are so influential, they'll always be a staple but the others could change in a few months. Anyway...DEBATE!!!!!

"My Top 10" Vol 1: Hip-Hop Remixes

10. Jump Around Remix by House of Pain (Prod. by Pete Rock)
9. One Love (One L) Remix by NaS Feat. Sadat X (Prod. by Vic Padilla & Godfather Don)
8. Still Not a Player by Big Pun (prod. by Knobody For 12 Nations/Field Ni**as)
7. Scenario Remix by Tribe Called Quest Feat. Leaders of The New School (Prod. by Tribe Called Quest)
6. Can't Stop The Prophet Remix by Jeru The Damaja (Prod. by Pete Rock)
5. One More Chance/Stay With Me Remix by Notorious B.I.G (Prod. by Rashad Smith)
4. World Is Yours Remix by NaS (Prod. by Q-Tip)
3. Buddy (Natives Tongues Decision Mix) by De La Soul Feat. Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Q-Tip, & Jungle Brothers (Prod. by Prince Paul)
2. I Got Cha Opin' Rmx by Black Moon (Prod. by The Beatminerz)
1. Shut'Em Down Remix by Public Enemy (Prod. by Pete Rock)

sorry Diddy, contrary to popular belief, Pete Rock "invented the remix". LOL
So folks debate, ponder, and share your favs...1