tlongII
01-11-2008, 07:47 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf?/base/sports/1200025516142590.xml&coll=7&thispage=1
Friday, January 11, 2008
A 24-year old rapper who goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco rolled into Portland on Thursday, where he performed at the sold-out Roseland Theater.
Now, understand, Lupe Fiasco doesn't drink alcohol. He doesn't go to clubs. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't hang with groupies, and the messages in his rap music aren't about money, jewelry, drugs and gyrating women unless he happens to be mocking the bounty of hip-hop artists who make that their thing.
Lupe Fiasco's debut album, in fact, is anchored by a song titled, "Kick, Push," which is an anthem to skateboarding, his favorite hobby. The guy reads comic books, even. And since his hip-hop lyrics are about social and cultural issues, and his antics don't scream, "LOOK AT ME!" well, he's been a little slow to get noticed by America.
Basically, Lupe Fiasco is the hip-hop version of the Trail Blazers.
Which helps explain why they like his music.
Forward Channing Frye took his girlfriend to Thursday's performance and said, "I love his lyrics." Greg Oden went, too. So did some other teammates. And James Jones had a ticket, but he couldn't attend because his infant son just got his immunization shots and woke up fussy.
"(Lupe Fiasco) is one of the few artists around worth listening to, but if my son's home crying and wailing," Jones said, "mom's not letting me go anywhere."
Jones is out, then.
But while Lupe Fiasco is busy quietly touring the country, playing to sold-out venues and hammering on other rappers for pretending to be "street," maybe it's worth recognizing that the things you love about the Blazers are probably the very things that threaten to result in a major All-Star snub.
The Blazers are not flashy. They're not controversial. They're not outspoken. They're unselfish, good passers, who have spent the last six weeks putting on a clinic in fundamentals, chemistry and teamwork.
Basically, they're one of a few NBA teams worth watching anymore.
Two years ago, a beat reporter in the Blazers locker room called across the room to Zach Randolph, asking, "How many rebounds and points are you averaging in the last 10 games?"
Randolph didn't flinch.
The man affectionately nicknamed "Stat-Bo" started to reel off his numbers, and was carrying the decimals when he suddenly realized that it was more becoming to be unaware of your personal statistics. So Randolph smiled. And he said, "Oh, I don't know what I'm averaging."
The entire room started giggling, Randolph, too.
I only point that out because Jones was at the Blazers practice facility on Thursday, a day off, shooting three-point shots. And Frye was working with a coach. Oden and Taurean Green were working out, too. And Steve Blake and Brandon Roy were getting treatment for their injuries.
But while fans fret about injuries, they might want to ask, "How badly are the Blazers going to get snubbed?"
Because Roy is deserving, but won't be voted onto the All-Star team by fans, and will need the coaches to appoint him. Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge feel like a lock for the rookie-sophomore game, but are they? And while Jones and Blake are both in the top five in the league in three-point shooting, the All-Star shootout is a television event that typically invites flashy players. And even though there are fewer than five players in the league who can dunk a basketball like Travis Outlaw, nobody can seem to remember his name, which makes you wonder about the slam-dunk competition.
In fact, when the NBA sent out its annual press kit in the preseason to all the teams and media, they put Bo Outlaw's photo in Travis' place, which probably didn't help.
"I had someone call me Charles Outlaw too," Travis said.
The Blazers have won 17 of 18 games. They're deserving of a presence on All-Star weekend in New Orleans, sure. But they're basically an underground bunch, just like hip-hop's Lupe Fiasco, unwilling to sell out and say or do anything brash or eccentric just for the sake of getting noticed.
Now, Lupe Fiasco is finally breaking out. He's becoming more well known, but still, many of you are learning about him for the first time in the sports section, today.
It's what the Blazers must feel like in other cities.
Roy could average more points, but doesn't feel the need. Jones and Blake could say outlandish things, but they don't get the point. And I suppose Outlaw could show up to post-game news conferences wearing wigs and outfits, in an attempt to get himself noticed.
All the Blazers have done is make themselves relevant, and piece together some of the best individual performances in the league. Oregonians are loving it. And if the NBA wants to encourage more of this kind of focused authenticity, I'm thinking the league should reward the Blazers with a deserving presence on All-Star weekend
On Thursday, Jones said of being invited to the three-point competition, "It's out of my hands." And he explained how individual awards and recognition are nice things, but that the goal is to win games, and help the team.
Then, he walked off, and it wasn't until he got 15 yards away that Jones paused, turned back and said, "I'll win it if they put me in."
These days, I suppose that serves as trash talk around here.
Friday, January 11, 2008
A 24-year old rapper who goes by the name of Lupe Fiasco rolled into Portland on Thursday, where he performed at the sold-out Roseland Theater.
Now, understand, Lupe Fiasco doesn't drink alcohol. He doesn't go to clubs. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't hang with groupies, and the messages in his rap music aren't about money, jewelry, drugs and gyrating women unless he happens to be mocking the bounty of hip-hop artists who make that their thing.
Lupe Fiasco's debut album, in fact, is anchored by a song titled, "Kick, Push," which is an anthem to skateboarding, his favorite hobby. The guy reads comic books, even. And since his hip-hop lyrics are about social and cultural issues, and his antics don't scream, "LOOK AT ME!" well, he's been a little slow to get noticed by America.
Basically, Lupe Fiasco is the hip-hop version of the Trail Blazers.
Which helps explain why they like his music.
Forward Channing Frye took his girlfriend to Thursday's performance and said, "I love his lyrics." Greg Oden went, too. So did some other teammates. And James Jones had a ticket, but he couldn't attend because his infant son just got his immunization shots and woke up fussy.
"(Lupe Fiasco) is one of the few artists around worth listening to, but if my son's home crying and wailing," Jones said, "mom's not letting me go anywhere."
Jones is out, then.
But while Lupe Fiasco is busy quietly touring the country, playing to sold-out venues and hammering on other rappers for pretending to be "street," maybe it's worth recognizing that the things you love about the Blazers are probably the very things that threaten to result in a major All-Star snub.
The Blazers are not flashy. They're not controversial. They're not outspoken. They're unselfish, good passers, who have spent the last six weeks putting on a clinic in fundamentals, chemistry and teamwork.
Basically, they're one of a few NBA teams worth watching anymore.
Two years ago, a beat reporter in the Blazers locker room called across the room to Zach Randolph, asking, "How many rebounds and points are you averaging in the last 10 games?"
Randolph didn't flinch.
The man affectionately nicknamed "Stat-Bo" started to reel off his numbers, and was carrying the decimals when he suddenly realized that it was more becoming to be unaware of your personal statistics. So Randolph smiled. And he said, "Oh, I don't know what I'm averaging."
The entire room started giggling, Randolph, too.
I only point that out because Jones was at the Blazers practice facility on Thursday, a day off, shooting three-point shots. And Frye was working with a coach. Oden and Taurean Green were working out, too. And Steve Blake and Brandon Roy were getting treatment for their injuries.
But while fans fret about injuries, they might want to ask, "How badly are the Blazers going to get snubbed?"
Because Roy is deserving, but won't be voted onto the All-Star team by fans, and will need the coaches to appoint him. Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge feel like a lock for the rookie-sophomore game, but are they? And while Jones and Blake are both in the top five in the league in three-point shooting, the All-Star shootout is a television event that typically invites flashy players. And even though there are fewer than five players in the league who can dunk a basketball like Travis Outlaw, nobody can seem to remember his name, which makes you wonder about the slam-dunk competition.
In fact, when the NBA sent out its annual press kit in the preseason to all the teams and media, they put Bo Outlaw's photo in Travis' place, which probably didn't help.
"I had someone call me Charles Outlaw too," Travis said.
The Blazers have won 17 of 18 games. They're deserving of a presence on All-Star weekend in New Orleans, sure. But they're basically an underground bunch, just like hip-hop's Lupe Fiasco, unwilling to sell out and say or do anything brash or eccentric just for the sake of getting noticed.
Now, Lupe Fiasco is finally breaking out. He's becoming more well known, but still, many of you are learning about him for the first time in the sports section, today.
It's what the Blazers must feel like in other cities.
Roy could average more points, but doesn't feel the need. Jones and Blake could say outlandish things, but they don't get the point. And I suppose Outlaw could show up to post-game news conferences wearing wigs and outfits, in an attempt to get himself noticed.
All the Blazers have done is make themselves relevant, and piece together some of the best individual performances in the league. Oregonians are loving it. And if the NBA wants to encourage more of this kind of focused authenticity, I'm thinking the league should reward the Blazers with a deserving presence on All-Star weekend
On Thursday, Jones said of being invited to the three-point competition, "It's out of my hands." And he explained how individual awards and recognition are nice things, but that the goal is to win games, and help the team.
Then, he walked off, and it wasn't until he got 15 yards away that Jones paused, turned back and said, "I'll win it if they put me in."
These days, I suppose that serves as trash talk around here.