Fake Hustle

Fake Hustle Indeed…

fakehustle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:18:50 +0000

Sam C. You're better than that! (c) Mark Jackson

I know Mark, I know…

So it looked like I finally got the ball rolling around here and then things just went dormant. To tell you the truth I haven’t had much to write about outside of (irregular) posts on TSS and URB. Here’s what I’ve been up to outside of typing away on my laptop for scooby snacks.

We hosted a dope family reunion at the house.

I had technical issues with my laptop so I was strapped for innanet time.

I’ve applied to some more jobs but still haven’t gotten a call back.

Finally got the laptop situation resolved this week so I’ve been geeking out since Tuesday.

I voted for Corzine on Tuesday but Jersey heads know what went down.

Then I finally got the laptop situation resolved this week. I’ve been geeking out since Wednesday.

I got fed up with my modem’s connection issues so I swapped it for a new one yesterday. And guess what? I still have problems with my signal. Time Warner/Cablevision/Optimum Online is always on that BS.

So that’s it really. I’m not struggling at all but I’ve definitely seen better days. I do have something new going for me though. I don’t want to jinx it but let’s just say you’ll see my byline on another magazine’s site. Well that’s if everything goes as planned. Either way I’ll keep you posted on that when I get the chance.

The NBA x Newark: Enjoy it While You Can

fakehustle — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:55:02 +0000

I decided to see the Nets’ last preseason game against the Knicks at The Rock. The tickets were only ten bucks so I came through with my lil’ homey from Rutgers.

So, do the Nets fit in well with Newark?

Let’s start from the beginning. This was my first time at The Prudential Center so I was somewhat anxious to check it out. We finally made our way in and somehow cut the line. It’s quite impressive once you get in the lobby. Neon lights painted the windows from the inside and it It just felt modern when you walked around. Plus the upper and lower levels entrances are open unlike Izod.

It’s convenient since you can take quick peaks at the game if you’re not by one of the flat screens. The only undesirable part was our seats. It felt like we were up in the Adirondacks but hey, that’s what you get when you don’t pony up. All things considered the Rock makes the Izod Center look like a dusty airfield hanger.

I thought we came late as we grabbed our seats 2 minutes before tip off. Then a lot of heads showed up out of nowhere deep into the 1st quarter. I guess everyone was running on CPT and I missed the memo.

Now on to the actual game. Well, the first half went from decent to abysmal. The Knicks got an 18 point lead at the break. I’m a Nets fan but I grew up in a family full of Knicks diehards so I have no hard feelings towards them. At any rate I don’t like blowouts and the crowd seemed to agree with me. It really took a ton of energy out of the building.

My friend wanted to grab some ice cream so I decided to tag along. I’m a tall dude so my legs needed some circulation anyway. We finally found a small Carvel vendor and she dropped a Lincoln for a cup of ice cream. That’s was a pretty ridiculous price but hey you can’t get between a woman and her food.

She didn't even finish it!

Thankfully things picked up in the third as the Nets went on a run. The place came back to life and then some. Chris Douglas-Roberts started to drain shots out of nowhere and got some cheers. Then Keyon Dooling shook someone (Chris Duhon I think) and made the crowd go OOOOOOOOHHH!! I had to bring myself down for a moment. It felt like a regular season game considering how well attended it was.

The Score After 3

The Nets built up a one possesion lead in the fourth but tempers flared as Bobby Simmons got it in with Nate Robinson of all people. Like I told my friend, what do you really gain from picking on someone Nate’s size? Dude is barely tall enough to ride a roller coaster but I bet he’d knock him out. Most NBA cats can’t fight anyway but it was funny nonetheless.

It's out of focus but that's the best I could do.

Nate and Bobby got a double Technical and they kept it moving. The Nets continued to fluster about with their slim lead as did the Knicks in their attempt to catch up. You could kind of tell that the game would eventually fall out of their favor with only 5 minutes left in the game and Devin Harris in street clothes.

Then those Knickerbockers got their act together and got the lead back in the waning moments. They seemd to ice it with a 2 possession lead and mere seconds on the clock. Then they fouled Courtney Lee which was pretty stupid. He missed the second shot on purpose, got his own board and got an and 1. The Nets were back in it with slim hopes but most of the crowd left at that point. Lee forced the miss and the ball bounced around with failed tips toward the basket until the buzzer sounded. The Knicks squeaked by with the W while the Nets suffered a winless preseason at home.

We had a good time even though they lost. Even though NY heads came in via Penn Station there were a good number of Jersey faithfuls seen throughout. it was easy to see that fans were genuinely interested in the slim possibility of the Nets making their new home in Newark.It took a little bit to get the crowd going at first but they stayed in their seats until the Nets choked at the end.

Obligatory post game photo shoot

Now on to some funny/weird events that transpired throughout the game. Dwight Gooden was in the building and that’s all well and good. But the DJ kept playing Michael Jackson records and I couldn’t figure out why. Sure MJ is a legend and all of that but it didn’t seem natural. Come to find out Joe Jackson was sitting court side and made the jumbotron. The crowd sounded confused when they found out. You know how weird it sounds when people cheer and boo evenly at the same time? Yeah that happened.

He can dance better than your grand-dad

Cheerleaders are OK with me but I guess the senior citizen dance team was all the rage. They started out with some geriatric dance number then started gettin’ it to this song.

It was pretty hilarious and somewhat unexpected. I just hope I can move as well as them when I get up there.

These little girls were a riot. They startin’ wildin’ when they played You’re a Jerk and got live for the free t-shirts. Unfortunately the cheerleaders didn’t have arms like Jay Cutler so those shirts didn’t quite make it up there.

Wrapping things up, having the Nets in Newark would really bring interest back in the waning franchise. But the NBA Lords don’t want that to happen so it’s just a pipe dream for now. Meanwhile, the people aren’t clamoring for the Barclays Center or Atlantic Yards. On another note, the traffic heading into the game was pretty bad even for Newark. Atlantic Avenue would easily be worse should people dare to drive in to the Barclays. Then again that’s why I suppose they’re building it right next to Atlantic Ave-Pacific St. Station. Oh well, it was great while it’s lasted. Now I just have to wait until spring when the league will take my team away.

Oh and another thing. My first post on the Nets and The Prudential Center made NJ.com. It’s really dope to get a nod from the Star Ledger but I guess I should clear something up. I never went to that game. When I said I checked it out I meant I watched it on Yes. It sounded right in my head when I wrote it but I guess it didn’t translate to the author of that post. I just thought it was funny and I got some shine from it. I just hope I’m not discredited for being honest.

I’ll end it with this. As we got past security they had a promoter getting people excited for the game. He said “New Jersey and NEWW YORRK… Are YOU Ready?!?!” or something to that effect. Then some dude behind me says “We Don’t CARE about New York!! We CARE about NEW JERSEY!!”

Too bad more people out here don’t feel the same way…

I’m Not a Blake Griffin Fan But…

fakehustle — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:41:29 +0000

…you’d have to be stupid to try and block that halfheartedly. He doesn’t look like the smartest tool in the shed but he’s a pure athlete that can jump out the gym. Fake hustle never gets rewarded. I should know. I’ve been at it for over a year now.I don’t know about you but dunks like that make me jump out my chair and praaaaaiiiiise Jesus! As TC of TSS said, it does look eerily similar to Amare’s rookie year dunk on Michael Olowokandi. Plus they both got the And 1 on top of humiliating grown ass men.

No one’s heard from Olowokandi since and I’m sure Mitch Kupchack is considering changing DJ’s 10-Day contract to a one-time weekend special.

I know. DJ is signed through this year but it’s a funny thought.

The Jury’s still out on whether or not Blake is worth the hype. Still you can’t front on his flat out strength and leaping ability. So what’s the moral of this post? It’s never cool to be “that guy” on the poster kids. Just let the man dunk and get back on D.

Excuse My Enthusiasm But…

fakehustle — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:56:06 +0000

Click to enbiggen

…I made the WordPress front page!

Click to enbiggen (again)

This is my first home page look so I’m happy. I don’t know how they go about choosing these posts but I guess somebody at the WP Tower read my complaints concerns. Either way I’m geeking out right now. Thanks WordPress!

Editor’s note: Yes it looks like a 5 year old scrawled all over my desktop. In actuality that’s the best I can do with paint.net. Also I guess WordPress thinks I’m on the same level as Anderson Cooper as evidenced in the second screenshot. I’m a humble dude (don’t let my friends tell you otherwise) so I’m cool with it. At any rate that’s a great look if I ever saw one.

Because Putting The Nets In Newark Makes Too Much Sense…

fakehustle — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:18:15 +0000

I checked out the Nets pre season game against the Celtics last night. The Nets lost a game they should’ve won but that’s not the point. Instead, it seems like their new owner has the game locked up as far as moving the squad to Brooklyn. I can go on about how it’s a dumb move in more ways than one but think about this. Why not just play in Newark?

Its a logistically and financially sound alternative to this oft-delayed move. Prudential isn’t used that heavily outside of Devils games and the occasional concert/event. On top of that Penn Station is just a few blocks away. You want to get idiots (like me) to pay for those PATH trains and overinflated NJ transit tickets if they’re not driving in. Besides Cory Booker is all gung-ho about revitalizing Newark. Therefore, I’m surprised he didn’t campaign harder for the Prudential Center to serve as the potential home of the Nets. Hell even the Devils said they’d work with the Nets in organizing home games.

Yes,building a new stadium creates new jobs and the Barclays Center looks impressive. But they’re beyond expensive usually don’t see profits for years to come. On top of that I never saw a huge demand behind BK wanting it’s own team outside of Mikhail, Bruce Ratner and co. trying to capitalize on an appealing location. NY belongs to the Knicks when it comes to basketball and Madison Square Garden is up there with Yankee Stadium anyway. The Barclays Center looks like the ugly stepchild in comparison and it’s not even here yet. On top of that New Yorkers either don’t like or don’t care for the Nets for the most part. What makes the owners think that the fans will keep coming after the honeymoon is over? It’s not like Lebron is coming here anytime soon.

Most importantly, as a NJ resident and one of the few that follows the squad, I’d hate to hit the bridge just to watch my team in person. The Meadowlands ain’t easy to get to either. In a perfect world the Nets would’ve been at The Rock since the Devils arrived: rendering the Izod Center worthless.

1 Year Anniversary of Fake Hustle!

fakehustle — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:21:17 +0000

It was really a year ago today when i started my little slice of the innanet called FH. I was watchin’ pre season ball on TNT and decided I might as well try the whole blogging thing. Well I’m still at it 365 (and a quarter) days and 237,000+ views later. So to all two of yall that read this page I really appreciate your support haha. I’d say I’m doing pretty well even though I have an axtra low profile online. Most other blogs similar to mine drop off in a couple of months so this is kind of a watershed moment.

2009 was dope here. Let’s make 2010 even better!

Geekin’ Out Over Forza 3

fakehustle — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:13:36 +0000

Thank God for Football (Go Giants by the way.) If it wasn’t for gridiron you’d prolly find me on XBL playing the hell out of that Forza 3 demo. I don’t know what it is but I’m a little too excited for it’s release. It’s funny because Forza 2 disappointed me in a lot of ways despite being a good game in the end. So naturally you’d think that I’d have a tepid response towards sequel right?

No such luck. I was in shock and awe when I played it at E3. Then I grew to enjoy the demo as I found out about drifting, time trials and the manual w/ clutch feature. Not to mention the demo was smart enough to include the Audi R8: currently my favorite whip.

The cars handle REALLY well even for a sim. Usually these kinds of games are relentlessly difficult since they feature painstakingly realistic cornering. Still i was able to hit the turns with ease even on hard with almost every assist off (sorry I need my anti lock brakes.) I even got 1st place a couple of times. Maybe it’s because I’ve played sims for awhile but the learning curve wasn’t as frustrating as it could’ve been. I think it was a genius move even though some lament that the steering is more forgiving. Turn 10 is obviously making the game more accessible, especially with the new rewind feature, and I’m not opposed. The AI and courses are still challenging enough to keep vets coming back on the harder settings so where’s the harm?

The sense of speed is much improved as well and it always feels smooth. Hell it even felt like I was zoomin’ in a Mini Cooper. NFS Shift edges it out in that department (and in cockpits too) but it never feels slow.

I also liked how it made a quantum leep in graphics and presentation. Forza was a ridiculously vanilla game outside of the track. Still, it’s hard to ignore the GT influence in the menus. Regardless, It gives the game a personality and flair it lacked for so long. The cars look great and the environments look even better. Pound for pound, it’s definitely the best looking car game on the 360.

The biggest thing that bugs me about the game is there’s still only 8 car grids. Sure there’s a lot going on but come on now. Can we please graduate to 16+ driver races? GT5 PROLOGUE has 16 cars on the track online and off and that game looks great (albeit with suspect AI.) What’s the excuse? All this talk about customizable online modes better be worth it because the racing is too good to keep it locked at 8 cars on a track. If NFS Shift and PC sims taught me anything, it’s that more cars (but not too many)=MUCH better races. I think 16-20 is the sweet spot but, then again, I don’t run Turn 10. Oh yeah, it’s impressive that they added cockpit views for all 400 cars but they pale in comparison to other racers I’ve played.

Anyway, Forza 3 looks like it’s gonna put a lot of relationships on ice when it drops. It’s also interesting that MS is putting a racing game as their marquee title for the holiday rush. Usually they run the Halo/Gears off year tandem that gets SO tired. They broke that trend somewhat since ODST wasn’t heavily advertised. Anyway, it’s good to see one of my favorite genres get that shine. 09-10 is gonna be great for racing games especially with GT 5 dropping next year. In the meantime I’ll be (im)patiently waiting for this game’s release on October 27th.

Answer to Spot The Sample 2 (Plus Whatever U Want Video)

fakehustle — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:49:32 +0000

Well that wasn’t too hard now was it?

Kanye chopped up vocal sample from… “ABC” and flipped it for Whatever U Want. It had to be from a live version as he didn’t always say “Hey!” in the bridge.

Here’s the best example I can find. You can see what I’m talking about if you fast forward to ABC.

Consequence’s music video for “Whatever You Want” is here just like I predicted. It actually dropped today which was a big reason why I let this post linger for a minute. Here it is, “Whatever U Want” starring Consequence, Kanye and John Legend directed by Hype Williams.

This joint is better Hype’s video for Forever even with the awkward synching to the song. Cons To The Quence Fool!!

Spot The Sample 2! Consequence feat. Kanye West and John Legend “Whatever U Want”

fakehustle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:47:07 +0000

Consequence feat. Kanye West and John Legend – Whatever U Want (mp3)

This joint was one of my favorite songs of the summer. What’s crazy about it is people may overlook the fact that Martin Louie snuck a sample in there. It’d be TOO EASY to ask what person he sampled. So I decided to up the ante and ask yall what song did ‘Ye get the song from? Google it out and get to work.

In other news Hype Williams shot the video for this song last month so It shouldn’t be long until it pops up on a screen near you…

Now That’s How You Crash A Housewarming Party!

fakehustle — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:02:54 +0000

Mario Manningham>Terence Newman

It’s been a minutes since I rapped about football. But wow, that game last night was great! The Giants pissed me off with their red zone issues but they did enough to win. Besides it would’ve been shitty to lose as Romo had 3 interceptions. Eli did alright but the real star of the game was SUPER Mario…

….nope lemme finish ‘Ye…

Manningham!

I’ll forgive him for going to Michigan but he did his thing out there. I hope this isn’t a one game fluke. In a best case scenario it’ll be the start of a breakout year a la Adrian Peterson but I’m not holding my breath for that either. Anyway, here’s hoping dude can keep ballin’ out there all season. The New York Football Giants can use all the help they can get when it comes to wide receivers so it’s good to see the lil’ homey shine. This man styled all over Dallas’s new fangled stadium. As long as the fans in attendance saw the L in 1098201P HD i’m good. Gotta love them Texas tax dollars at work huh?