Lórenzo J’s Mid-Aughts Music Review, Week 2
Essays, Music, Entertainment Larry J. Sanders Essays, Music, Entertainment Larry J. Sanders

Lórenzo J’s Mid-Aughts Music Review, Week 2

Ironically — or maybe not — their beef came at the apex of each rappers’ career: Paper Trail is T.I.’s last #1 album on the Billboard Hot 100, and Shawty Lo never saw that kind of mainstream attention on his music again. I might’ve found Tip’s responses petty, but he probably saw a guy he knew and respected and, most importantly, wanted his spot; this guy from down the block might’ve never held T.I.’s universal appeal, but he could threaten his neighborhood status, and that was enough to merit comebacks that were, frankly, mean.

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I Hate Sam Presti (Death of a Dynasty II)
Essays, Sports Larry J. Sanders Essays, Sports Larry J. Sanders

I Hate Sam Presti (Death of a Dynasty II)

On October 27, 2012, around 6PM London time, I learned the Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder vaguely claimed they were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension; James was seeking a maximum contract of $60 million over 4 years, which the Thunder countered by asking him to take a $4.5 million discount. The Thunder traded away their third head over a mid-level exception.

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Rhy Speaks: On The Boondocks
Essays, Television, Entertainment Rhyanna Morgan Essays, Television, Entertainment Rhyanna Morgan

Rhy Speaks: On The Boondocks

Now into my mid-20s, it’s clear The Boondocks might always remain culturally and socially relevant, or at least until I’m older. Disagree? "The Trial of Robert Kelly" is the second episode the show ever produced; 12 years later, R. Kelly is still free and was recently accused of holding teenage girls captive in an Atlanta compound. Still relevant.

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Hypocrite!: Black Authenticity in the Age of Social Media
Essays, Culture Larry J. Sanders Essays, Culture Larry J. Sanders

Hypocrite!: Black Authenticity in the Age of Social Media

I’ve been crafting my personal brand around the aesthetic that I’d like WSH to exude — clean, refined, much cooler and over everything than you’d believe — and while it can be fun to play that character on Twitter and Instagram, it’s a weird feeling to consider how detached our two personalities can be. Not entirely disparate, mind you; I’d never accuse anyone of faking for likes and retweets. But we’ve all now become curators of our personal running diaries, for better or worse. Can’t blame a curator for exercising creative control, can you? That's precisely why my Twitter drafts folder is pouring over at the moment. Creative control.

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Rhy Speaks: On Coming to America
Essays, Film, Entertainment Rhyanna Morgan Essays, Film, Entertainment Rhyanna Morgan

Rhy Speaks: On Coming to America

I often struggle with picking a definitive list of my favorite movies, but on today, here’s the shortlist: Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather, and Coming to America. I could easily write an argument for the greatness of Silence of the Lambs or The Godfather, but the clear underdog in my top-three is Coming to America. This is completely unfair, however, and thus why I want to discuss why Coming to America is an undeniable masterpiece that doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

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WSH's 2018 NBA All-Star Selections
Essays, Sports Larry J. Sanders Essays, Sports Larry J. Sanders

WSH's 2018 NBA All-Star Selections

Having watched an inordinate amount of hoop this year (shoutout to my Warriors-exclusive League Pass subscription), I think I’m around 77% qualified to tick off who I believe should make this year’s All-Star team. Plus, I needed to get my selections on the website before the official choices for the game's starters come out in like five minutes. Drumroll, please...

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WSH's Songs of the Year 2017
Entertainment, Essays, Music Larry J. Sanders Entertainment, Essays, Music Larry J. Sanders

WSH's Songs of the Year 2017

No guests this year — just me. (Here’s your chance to tiptoe out the back door.) Per the title, this year’s piece will be far less “scientific” than the first two. I’m way too behind on music to pretend like I’m some sort of expert this year, so consider this a list of my personal favorites. I mean, I think I know a little bit about song construction and stuff, so I’d hope nobody sees this and finds me completely insane for some of these choices. As always, I take this project as seriously as I (think I) should, and I’d love to get your feedback on my picks and even see your “best songs” lists, as well.

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Black Superstar Power: The Political Awakening of the Millennial Athlete
Essays, Culture, Sports Larry J. Sanders Essays, Culture, Sports Larry J. Sanders

Black Superstar Power: The Political Awakening of the Millennial Athlete

Sure, continue to ignore all the intentional system failures harming people of color in the name of pretending we don’t have a legitimate gripe. Let’s also pretend these wealthy, black athletes weren’t dead broke once-upon-a-time, because in this fantasy, they shouldn’t complain about anything! They don’t have it bad at all! Or — even better — let’s continue to pretend that America has this spotless history, that the many terrible things happening right now in the United States — white supremacist rallies, mass shootings by domestic terrorists, the election of an incompetent imbecile to run the country — are just aberrations and not the byproduct of backlash from the eight years prior, anger not only of a black man being President, but of him being damned good at it, too.

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