Well we put another podcast out there in the atmosphere, and we did not disappoint. Jay-Z trolls Nas yet again, the Tideking had yet another Red Flag for us, and there are some trends that we noticed on Social Media. But this week, was a monumental one in sports. The NBA teams that are in the Bubble responded to a tragic event in Kenosha, Wisconsin and decided to take a stand.
As we were recording our podcast on the evening of Sunday, August 23, 2020, another unarmed black man by the name of Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was shot in the back seven times, severing his spinal cord, and rendering him paralyzed from the waist down. Locals took to the streets to protest, but the Milwaukee Bucks were fed up. Being that Kenosha a neighboring city of Milwaukee, the frustration of the situation for Bucks players had reached its tipping point.
So, on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, the Bucks decided to boycott their Game 5 competition against the Orlando Magic in response to the shooting. This led to the remaining two games that were scheduled for that evening to be boycotted by their teams as well. This boycott spread to other professional sports such as tennis, Major League Baseball, and the WNBA. After the hype died down, the players met with the Coaches, the Board of Governors, and League representatives to list their demands for social justice within their communities. The objective moving forward is simple, honor the demands or they will not play. I hope this example can spread throughout all professional sports. Sports is the great equalizer that brings all people together for a common interest.
Hip Hop artist, Nas, released his 12th studio album, King’s Disease, on Friday, August 21, 2020. On that same day, fellow Hip Hop artist, Jay-Z, released a single he did with Pharrell called Entrepreneur. Rapper 50 Cent brought up an interesting fact a couple of years ago how Jay-Z has low-key been messing with Nas for years now by “purposely” releasing his projects at the same time. Jay-Z has commercially been more popular than Nas, but Nas is recognized for besting him in their battle in the 2000s. On our podcast, it was brought up that the two might have an agreement that the undercurrents of an ongoing feud is good for business.
Their rivalry made me think of rivalries that exist within the Ebbtide Crew. Batman and Raheem Goodell are the best of friends, but the one-upmanship between those two is quite comical. EZ Ed and the Tideking have had arguments that are the stuff of legend. EZ Ed has broken up with girls in the past on the strength of something that Tideking has said about them. Stuff like, “your girl is built awkward ain’t she?” or “your girl has had that temporary license plate on her car for long time, hasn’t she.” EZ Ed has gotten his fair shares of licks in, which makes them both each other’s mental Kryptonite.
When I moved to the block and got to know everybody, I immediately could not stand the Tideking. We all played sports ALL THE TIME, and during those heavily battled competitions, he would talk shit ALL THE TIME. The crazy thing was that he would talk shit and actually backed it up. I used to think ‘why couldn’t he just be full of shit like the rest of us?’ After a couple years of being on the block, I got to know him outside of competition, and the thing I could not stand about him was made essential to our friendship. There are still undercurrents of that rivalry. I am losing the vinyl record battle against him, but a Red Flag arose in our friendship when he said the Beatles couldn’t sing.
Years ago, when I was teenager working at Winn-Dixie on Bundy Road in New Orleans East, I got to see the same customers come in the store each shift I worked. One of the young women that would come in there often, had a tattoo on her chest in big letters in what seemed like it stretched out to each shoulder blade that said WILLIAM. I always found that to be bizarre. Who is William? Did he dick her down that good that she had to put his name on her chest? Maybe it was her Daddy and he died, and she wanted him close to her heart or something. Who knows!
On the podcast, the Tideking brought this up as an actual Red Flag, saying that women who have tattoos on the titty meat have a history of bad decision-making skills. Don’t get me wrong, tattoos on women are sexy as hell. There is a toughness in a woman that I admire who exhibits this form of self-expression on her body, but why ruin a good piece of titty meat with a tattoo? I have not seen one that I’ve actually liked, or thought was cool. Are we reaching on this one?
Finally, during this quarantined pandemic that we are going through, there is a trend we noticed on social media. Because we can’t get out and meet people like we’re used to doing. Men and women are posting subliminal messages on their timeline trying to set out bait for the opposite sex. I’ve seen more single women posting pictures and videos of their passion for cooking now, single men posting their weight loss journey. The inspirational relationship quotes pointing out how a good one is around the corner, or that special someone is closer to you than you think, you just have to open your eyes.
Is this desperation, or is this just being resourceful since it is not healthy to be in public right now? In any case, this peace and validation on social media feels different. Those of us who can easily maneuver the real world are now seeking validation in other places. Maybe Jay-Z truly feels validated as an artist going up against Nas. Maybe a woman feels validated by having a tattoo on her titty meat. Hopefully, the Game 5 boycotts validate what the NBA players stood up for. At the end of the day, whatever makes you feel validated, it is with great hope that it brings you some form of peace.
Tony Love