Bryce Harper has always been a fast starter. He has had great Aprils the past three seasons. In 2015 he smacked five home runs in April on his way to an MVP season. The last two Aprils he hit nine a piece, but injuries slowed down his season. This year, he’s hit three already in just four games and is yet to strike out while slashing .417/.550/1.167. The question is, which Harper will we see this year? When he’s healthy, he is automatically in the MVP discussion. His swing is that elite and he is one of the most exciting personalities in the league. But can he stay on the field this year? The Nationals have a great roster again, but they’ll be no threat to other NL powerhouses without Harper for any extended periods. But Bryce’s heath will have a bigger influence on baseball at large than the Nationals. Harper is in his contract year and has the potential to shatter the free agent records for the biggest deals of all time. If he is healthy and puts up MVP-like numbers this year like we all expect him to, he could be looking at a $400 million pay day next winter. There’s no doubt he’s worth it in today’s market and there will be plenty of teams willing to dish out a long term deal for the young superstar. But another injury-riddled season could scare some of those teams off. He needs to prove he can be healthy, even if that means toning it down a touch. I don’t want to see Harper running through any walls this year, he’s too valuable to the game. Let’s see if we get 2015 Bryce again, I hope he sets the league on fire.
So we’re going to do things a little different today. April 3rd was a relatively slow day, so we’re going to jump back a few days to April 1st, and you’ll see why. I will point out that on April 3rd, 2008, Wayne “Freeze” Frost of the The Rock Steady Crew passed away. The Rock Steady Crew was a hip hop and breaking group that was best known for their international smash hit “Hey You” in 1983 and their breakdancing style.
April 1st has been a busy day in hip hop history. I’ll break it all down for in chronological order, starting with the earliest event. We start our ride in 1987 when Public Enemy released their debut album Yo! Bum Rush The Show. Chuck D and Flavor Flav brought a powerful and unique lyrical style to dope scratches from DJ Terminator X. The trio were known for their incredibly political music. Hailing from Long Island, New York, Public Enemy took their name seriously and turned the sounds of that era into messages that spoke to the black community and youth. They caught a lot of heat from the mainstream media for their outspoken views but that never stopped them. All four of their first albums have been certified either gold or platinum and it’s all dope. Chuck D was as raw as they come as an MC and Flavor Flav’s personality played great off of it. Be sure to check out Yo! Bum Rush The Show and the rest of their discography, you won’t regret it.
Speaking of raw MC’s, EPMD released their second album Unfinished Business on April 1st, 1989.Erick & Parrish Making Dollars, better known as EPMD, was started by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith in 1986. Like Public Enemy, EPMD came out of Long Island.EPMD would change hip hop forever with their sound. Both E and PMD were great rappers and knew their way around a punchline. Their production style helped shift the focus from electronic sounding samples to using breaks from funk and rock records. They had five straight gold records from 1988 to 1997. EPMD have to be in the discussion whenever you’re talking about the all-time greats. They revolutionized the game and helped grandfather in an entire new era of hip hop. If you’ve never heard an EPMD record before, slap yourself, then go find one.
We’ll end our lesson for today with DJ Kool and one of the most known records of all time. DJ Kool released Let Me Clear My Throat on April 1st, 1996, and we haven’t stopped listening since. The version that sticks with us today was recorded live at Bahama Bay. The track uses two key samples,“Hollywood Swinging” (1974) by Kool and the Gang and “The 900 Number” (1987) by The 45 King. DJ Kool interacts with crowd making it perfect for parties and sporting events. Many remixes were made with a bunch of different rappers from the era laying down different verses. This track was anywhere and everywhere people were getting hyped up and still gets crowds going. I’ll leave the original in a video below just because it is a personal favorite.
Now I hope you’ve got nothing to do for the rest of the day cause I just gave you plenty of music to catch up on. Get comfy and start bumping.
What’s up y’all? Today we’re going to be celebrating the birthday of one of the most memorable names in hip hop history, MC Hammer. Born on March 30th, 1962, Stanley Kirk Burrell turns 56 today. If you’ve never heard the name MC Hammer then leave now and don’t come back.
MC Hammer enjoyed his biggest popularity in the late 80’s and early 90’s centered around his two biggest hits, “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit”. Hammer was known for his flashy dancing and equally flashy style. He made the “hammer pants” popping and had the whole world grooving. Hammer became the first hip hop artist to have an album go certified diamond (10 times platinum).
MC Hammer had his ups and downs throughout his career. In a time in hip hop when the genre was shifting to more street-driven gangster rap, Hammer was pop through and through. He caught a lot of flack for it then, but now we can appreciate what he did. Hip Hop is now so much more than gangster rap these days and has taken over the pop scene. This would never be possible if it wasn’t for artists like Hammer. And if you say you don’t like “U Can’t Touch This” you’re a liar. Happy birthday MC Hammer, I hope you’re still dancing. I’ll see y’all back here next week for more hip hop history lessons.
Well we’ve finally reached the Final Four. If you’re bracket is still in good shape, God bless you. Mine has a lone survivor in Michigan. The tournament has been full of drama, close games, and upsets so far. #11 Loyola-Chicago has orchestrated the majority of those upsets and joins a few other #11 seeds as the highest seed to reach the Final Four in the history of the tournament (George Mason in 2006 most recently). They will face #3 Michigan on one side of the bracket at 6:09 tomorrow evening. On the other side, we have two #1 seeds in Villanova and Kansas facing off at 8:49. Both games are sure to be exciting as no one wants to go home at this point. They are so close they can taste it. Let’s breakdown both games.
In the early matchup Loyola-Chicago will have to play their best game yet to keep their dream alive against Michigan. Loyola-Chicago’s strength has to be their versatility. They can put five guys on the court at all times that can all pass, dribble, shoot and defend multiple positions. The problem is, so can Michigan. I think the difference maker here is Mo Wagner. The Ramblers are weakest in the paint and if Wagner can work down low and assert some physicality the Wolverines will be able to control the game. Look for Michigan’s permitter defense to continue to be great as well as Simpson, Matthews and Abdur-Rahkman can all cause problems for ball handlers. In the end, I think Michigan handles business and moves on to the Championship. It has been a magical run for Loyola-Chicago, but history shows that midnight usually strikes in the Final Four for our Cinderellas.
In the late game we’ve got a matchup of two powerhouse programs. The Wildcats are playing great ball once again on the backs of their superstar guard Jalen Brunson. Brunson has been historically efficient this season from the point guard position and always has Villanova playing well on the offensive end. Nova’s ability to switch all screens also makes them a defensive juggernaut. Their length and athleticism across the board makes life miserable on opposing offenses. Nova has plenty of shooters too and can chase a team right out of the gym from behind the arc if they get hot. Kansas can also shoot the lights out of the building. Devonte Graham and Malik Newman have this offense firing on all cylinders. With both teams shooting the ball so well, I think it will come down the play in the paint. Udoka Azubuike has been playing great as he is returning to full health and has the ability to dominate down low. If he can assert his will, the Jayhawks will be moving on. And I think he will. Expect a big night from Azubuike, who will be playing in front of his mother for the first time, and expect Kansas to move on.
So there you have it, I’ve got Michigan and Kansas moving on and battling for the Championship on Monday. Make sure to check back here Monday afternoon to see if I was right and I’ll get you all set for the Championship game no matter who is playing in it.
With the Warriors’ loss to the Bucks last night, Houston has officially clinched the one seed in the West and will have home-court advantage throughout the Western playoffs. Another win this weekend will lock in the best overall record, securing home-court in the Finals as well, if they should make it. This breaks the Warrior’s three year streak of being the regular season kings of the West. It was a tight race until Houston began to pull away in March thanks to a slew of injuries for Golden State. Houston still probably would have won the West even if Golden State was healthy. The offense led by Harden and CP3 is by far the most efficient and powerful in the league and their defense has been much better than in years past, ranking in the top ten. They will still have to prove themselves in the postseason, but securing home court is a huge step in the right direction. Since the playoffs were expanded to the 16-team format, 56% of the 68 teams to compete in the Finals were one-seeds. An incredible 84% of teams were either one or two seeds. Having home court has proven to be crucial in making it to the Finals and now the Rockets are all set to make their run. If we do see the Houston-Golden State matchup we all expect in the Conference Finals, that last home game might end up being decisive. With only seven games left in the regular season, the Rockets can rest, get their rotation set and get ready for the battle ahead.
