You knew this was coming right? Even though my boy Mike has already put this video on his page, I had to do it here. In 1989, Will Smith as The Fresh Prince was already on his third record with DJ Jazzy Jeff. It was called And In This Corner … and a song called I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson was the lead single. By this time, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were a stale act. The humor that worked on their first two albums didn’t work this time. They were a soft act, especially with groups like Public Enemy and NWA around. Even in going gold, the record was a disappointment mostly because they were behind in the times. But in 1991, they released the summer anthem, Summertime which is one of the classic and most recognized hip hop records of our time. The album Homebase wasn’t all that different from their previous releases but it went platinum based on the strength of the song. The video debuted after an episode of Will’s TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”.

• I love the way the song opens with the “drums please” line.
• I remember when this song first came out that people didn’t believe it was The Fresh Prince because the lyrics weren’t goofy.
• Eddy Zucko and I were just talking about Will Smith yesterday and we both think someone needs to check out his testosterone levels – the dude is skinny here and he’s huge now.
• I totally forgot about that little kid getting knocked over by that yellow ball.
• The dancing is classic in this video.
• “Ya I got sneaks, but I need a new pair ‘cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there.”

Will Smith could probably retire from music and live his life as an MC through this song, but he won’t. We’ll get subpar albums from him probably until Trey can rap. Just keep making movies dude. I can’t wait for Bad Boys 3. You know they have to do it.

I can say that I was expecting more. I guess seeing all of them in the house 5 years later isn’t as fascinating as I thought it was going to be. They’re still pretty dumb and conflicted, but it’s kind of sad now. It’s not as funny. And I hate all the flashbacks to the first season. I’ve seen them only about 5 million times already. Oh well. Only three more episodes to go.

After last week’s Arissa meltdown, it’s Trishelle who is talking some sense into her. Yes, that Trishelle. The same Trishelle who helped host the Battle of the Reality Stars or whatever that show was. Yes, the same Trishelle who had a role in the prequel to the Dukes of Hazzard that none of us knew about. Yes, the same Trishelle who Steven would sleep with, then say he didn’t want her to be his girlfriend, and then sleep with her again in a matter of minutes. Yep, that’s the Trishelle I’m talking about. Arissa says it’s too violent in the house with all the drunken debauchery and specifically dislikes Frank. Well, that makes two of us. Frank is a borderline douche bag. Trishelle asks Arissa if she really thinks Frank would throw something at her. Arissa thinks the roommates are disrespecting the Palms.

Trishelle walks into a drunken Frank who picks her up and carries her so she avoids the broken glass. Frank says he’s just having a good time and he’s sick of people like Arissa having too good of a good time. He tells Steven and Trishelle that Arissa is a moron. They all agree. Steven tells her not to waste anymore time with Arissa. Arissa gets her own room and Brynn and Irulan visit her. Irulan’s leg looks fine by the way. Arissa says that she didn’t sign up for the debaucherous (I think I made up a new word) behavior. What did she really think was going to happen? Did she not live through it the first time?

Steven tells Frank that he’s not handling his alcohol very well. Frank calls him Captain Obvious. Ok, he really didn’t call him that. Steven says as much as he doesn’t like Arissa, he doesn’t want her to leave. Arissa and Irulan don’t know if they want to stick around. Arissa says she’s also changing her name on her birth certificate to Debbie Downer. Ok, she didn’t say that either.

Irulan says she’s not a quitter and she’s just going to avoid Alton. I still say they hook up again before it’s said and done. Trishelle is telling the girls how hard being an actress is. I bet it took lots of hard work to get into the prequel to Dukes of Hazzard. I remember at the end of the first Real World Las Vegas that Brynn complained that she was hardly on the show. She’s going to be complaining again after this one too.

Frank apologizes to Arissa and tells her it won’t happen again. Arissa accepts it. But she tells him the situation is more stressful the second time around. She says she respects him. To only the camera, he says he’s only doing it to shut her up. He gave her the most uncomfortable looking hug in the world. He then went to Irulan to apologize for her falling down. She accepts but then has to lecture him on doing something to let out his aggression in other ways.

Austin, the nanny, and their baby join Brynn for dinner. Let’s just say that Austin won’t be hooking up with the nanny. Arissa makes lasagna. Trishelle says she’ll eat the lasagna, but that’s not a way to say sorry. Wait, what is a better way?

They all get invited to watch a movie called Ninja Cheerleaders. Guess who is starring in that one? If your guess was Trishelle, you’d be right. Trishelle calls it campy, young, and fun. That’s carny for it sucks. The hardest thing to believe isn’t that Trishelle is playing a ninja cheerleader. It’s that her character is a 4.0 student. Irulan asks Trishelle if she feels like a big star. Trishelle says that she kind of does.

Next week, Trishelle tries to find Frank a nice girl.

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Yesterday, seconds before 4PM, I received an AIM message from my friend Danny.

BENOIT IS DEAD

When you get that message from a friend who is a wrestling fan, you immediately know who he is talking about. He was talking about WWE wrestler Chris Benoit. Certain things flashed through my mind. Heart attack? Suicide? Was it steroid or drug related? It’s sad that those things come to your mind immediately when someone says that a wrestler died, but because he was only 40 years old and so many wrestlers have passed away at around the same age from those kinds of things, it’s not outlandish to think that way.

But my thoughts soon changed because it wasn’t only Benoit who passed away. It was also his wife Nancy and their son. This was no common wrestling death.

When I got the news, I packed up the kids and took them to the house because my apartment only has cable and the house has DirectTV. With DirectTV, the feed that comes in for cable channels is the east coast feed. The Monday Night Raw show was set to come on in a few minutes and after I told the kids that Benoit had died, I told them that we needed to go to the house so I could watch the show early. They have already been through Eddie Guerrero’s death and I felt odd telling them about another wrestling death. It’s not easily explainable even to an adult to talk about death, and to a child that just watched someone on TV the previous week, it’s even less explainable as to why he’s dead.

The Monday Night Raw show opened with Vince McMahon telling his audience that Benoit was dead and that all plans were scrapped for their show. They canceled the event and had the announcers talk in an empty arena.

Dave Meltzer had an update about an hour and a half after Raw started.

He reported on his site:

My emotions completely changed after reading that. I tried not to speculate on what actually happened, but how could you not? You can’t really control emotions and thoughts very well when something tragic like this happens. I was a huge Chris Benoit fan. How do you separate the fandom from reality?

It’s hard for me to describe why I’m so emotionally invested with wrestling. As a fan, you immediately become close to certain wrestlers who catch your eye, and because wrestling is on television every week without an off-season, you see them more often than your favorite actor or athlete. Those who read certain authors, and read their works over and over again may understand. On Bryan Alvarez’s message board at www.f4wonline.com I posted a message to try and describe how I felt. I said, “I went back and looked at some of the things I wrote when Eddie died and also a Benoit DVD review I wrote and man, I’m so emotionally tied with some of these guys. It’s different than a favorite actor or author. We watch these guys every week and then watch them again on tape. There’s such an emotional investment and when stuff like this happens, it hurts harder than it should because of it.” It really does hurt harder than it should. I’ve never met Chris Benoit, but I’ve watched him wrestle a couple hundred times.

The story got worse. Meltzer’s next headline read ”Sad but shocking details of Benoit family deaths”.

According to a report on WAGA-TV, investigators believe Chris Benoit killed his wife and son at some point over the weekend, and then killed himself earlier today.

They reported first hearing from a concerned neighbor and that the three bodies were found in separate rooms.

Detective Bo Turner told the staion (station) the case was being investigated as a murder-suicide, but it could not be confirmed until the evidence was examined by a crime lab.

What everyone had hoped wasn’t true was allegedly true. How could Chris Benoit kill his family? It didn’t make sense. I didn’t want to believe it and neither did anyone else. It’s not explainable. I immediately thought of my own kids, like any parent would. It had to be false.

Meltzer’s next report said that the Fayette County Police Department were working with the theory that Benoit killed his wife on Saturday, his son on Sunday, and then himself on Monday. The same Lt. Pope said that “the instruments of death were located on the scene”, but never said what they were. It was hard to believe that Benoit could do something like that and live in the same house with his dead family. This story wasn’t heart wrenching as much anymore as it was disgusting. It became a little easier to differentiate fandom from reality.

The next story Meltzer reported was that Benoit supposedly sent wrestler Chavo Guerrero a curious text message on Sunday morning. This broke hours after Chavo Guerrero had just been on the Monday Night Raw show praising Benoit and saying that he would trust his own life and his children’s lives with Benoit. The messages didn’t make sense. Maybe Chavo didn’t know all the details. Actually, he probably didn’t. Guerrero lost his uncle Eddie in November of 2005 and actually was the one who found him dead. He said it was nearly as tough to tell Benoit that Eddie was dead because Eddie and Chris were great friends. But I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I couldn’t sleep either. But there was nothing new. That’s all the information that was there as I went to bed.

This morning there wasn’t much else except a wrestling industry mourning the loss of one of their own, but also just as boggled as everyone else with the stories that were reported. Bret Hart, who lost his brother Owen in 1999 in a wrestling stunt gone wrong during a PPV show at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, said that it was like reliving the Owen death all over again. Hart and Benoit were close and Hart said that Benoit was like a family member. He also told the Calgary Sun, “I don’t know the details, and I’m not sure I even want to know.”

WWE’s own website is removing Benoit from just about everything they have on the site that’s not newsworthy such as merchandise and show recaps. I guess they know what’s coming, or at least think they do.

What’s left to think? The reports state that Benoit allegedly murdered his wife and son. I’m not sure what’s left to say. At the end of the Monday Night Raw program last night, Jerry Lawler said that he was going to call his family and tell them that he loves them. I guess that’s all that there is left to do.

Remember when this song dropped? Who knew they were going to be group better known for breaking it down slowly (though you could tell their voices were off the hook)? Based off this song, they looked like an younger version of New Edition, but soon enough, they’d become more famous than the dudes that inspired them. Michael Bivins signed the group after they snuck backstage after a Bell Biv Devoe concert and sang for Biv. This was their memorable first single, produced by Dallas Austin.

• Those outfits are scary – pinstriped referee looking shirts with shorts, black socks, and white shoes?
• What the hell was the ALEXVANDERPOOLERA supposed to be anyway?
• Was that Nate who thrusted his pelvis into the air?
• Biv, on the toilet man?
• I’m a big Shawn Stockman fan, but the dude has one of the longest faces in history.
• The East Coast Family didn’t last long did it?
• Seeing Another Bad Creation warms my heart.
• Sudden Impact was also known as White Guise (get it, white guys?), and they never dropped at least to my knowledge.
• Do do doom dada, do do doom dada

Boyz II Men have fallen off the earth. Ok, maybe not. But close. If you go to their website you can order their latest album, and I don’t know one single person who has heard it. When you’re Boyz II Men and you can’t release your album anywhere but online, times must be rough. Maybe I’ll put some money in Wanya’s pocket and buy it.

Many of you have read about the life of Erberto and Erberto Jr, the super cars. If you haven’t, you can simply do a search for “Erberto” in the search box above and read about the great cars that lead me around town. I now have a new car. And no, I didn’t name it El Hijo Del Erberto Jr. as that would’ve been too predictable. But that’s where you come in. I want to hear some good names for my car. Double Bri and Double J thought that “Hea Jin” would be a good name for starters.

Introducing to you, my Camry. By the way, I’m a little sad that I don’t have an Accord anymore, but it just didn’t work out.

Much like Christina Aguilera sang, “I Turn To You”. It is your turn to give me some name ideas for this new box on wheels. Go at it.

This review was originally published here.

They tried to make me go to rehab
I said no, no, no.

That might be the hook of the summer.

Amy Winehouse’s sophomore record Back To Black is a breath of fresh air in today’s R&B music scene. Who is Amy Winehouse you might ask? Amy Winehouse is a 23 year old songstress from North London with a huge voice and a throwback style to R&B music of yesteryear.

According to Winehouse, her inspiration was less Supremes and more garage girl groups, but you can’t mistake the sound. While she may not have been influenced by the Motown sound by being a fan, her production by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson slaps you in the face with Berry Gordy’s hand.

Remi and Ronson are hip hop producers at heart, but they provide Winehouse with the perfect backdrop for her soulful voice. Winehouse’s lyrics are jaw droppingly honest at times and while you’ll learn some new uses for everyone’s famous curse word, she does it with a certain charm that is more endearing than offensive.

Songs like Rehab and You Know I’m No Good showcase her fabulous vocals as well as keep the head noddin’ while other songs like the title track and Love Is A Losing Game slow down the pace allowing you to hear Winehouse’s voice fully.

And then you have the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell influenced Tears Dry On Their Own which will make you want to chant with the break-up anthem. You Know I’m No Good is a great song on it’s own, but add the Ghostface Killah on the remix and it is the perfect mix of hip hop and R&B. They could do an album together and it’d be fantastic.

3 Things To Remember

• Amy Winehouse is a powerhouse vocally.
   
• Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson give you the Motown-like back drop.
   
• They tried to make her go to rehab and she said no, no, no.

Back To Black is one of the best releases you’ll hear all year. If someone asks you if you want to listen to Amy Winehouse, tell them, “yes, yes, yes”.

It might be just me, but now, every time I see Frank, my thought is, “wannabe”, and I’m not talking the Spice Girls. And just as I say that, Alton tells Frank that Trishelle is throwing Brynn a bachelorette party and Frank says, “We’re stripping?” Give Frank two years and he’ll be doing Surreal Life and Celebrity Fit Club back to back. Alton is a genius. He wants to throw Brynn’s husband Austin, a bachelor party. They show the girls inside the Adult Superstore in Vegas. Hey, I’ve been there before. I mean …

Brynn gets the regular stuff for her party like the lollipops shaped like pillypackers. Alton gets the top suite in the Palms Casino and it has an actual half court basketball hoop inside. There are four female bartenders and they want to play the four boys in 4 on 4 basketball. I hope Alton calls shirts. The female bartenders want to play against the guys with the winner getting the suite. I hope these guys get to keep their clothes when they lose. This might be the worst display of basketball I have ever seen. Alton might be the Michael Jordan of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, but he sure is the Opie Cunningham of the basketball court. Steven is the best player of the guys and my sister has a nicer jump shot than his.

Brynn is getting molested. If I was Austin, I’d be furious. Either that, or I’d get even.

The female bartenders/ringers take off their shirts and have matching pink sports bras. I just hope the guys have their wallets after it’s all said and done. Somehow, the guys won 15-2. So much for the ringers. In winning the bet, the females had to leave. I’d call that actually losing the bet.

Brynn is getting even more molested. And this time, it’s by a girl. Irulan says there are more strippers than guests at the party.

Worst Basketball Team Ever

Trishelle just randomly says that she had to take pole dancing lessons for a movie (wink wink). Nice cover up. There is an actual pole in the shower and she shows the girls her moves behind the glass. Irulan tries it and Trishelle basically says that she’s a natural. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.

The girls come to the suite and watch the guys play grab ass. Arissa thought there’d be girls running all over the place. Frank decides to gleek water all over Irulan and she starts running after him. Then she trips and falls over a chair and tells Frank to never spit on her ever again. She then points to a bruise on her leg and tells Frank that she hopes it was worth it. He then tells Irulan to shut the eff up and she gets angry. Alton tries to help her put ice on her bruise but she tells him that she’s good. Alton says it’s natural for him to want to help her especially when she’s hurt since he once loved her and still loves her now. Uh oh. Irulan says she wants to kill Frank and calls him a name that Samuel L. Jackson says a lot that rhymes with “other trucker”.

Irulan decides to take out her frustration on Alton. He tells her that she needs to see the bigger picture and she says that he’s a big big star and she’s not and walks out of the room. Replace “big big star” with “great great man” and I think she has it right. She calls the Real World producer and says she wants to go home and starts crying. Out of all the people to talk sense into her, it’s a drunken Trishelle.

Frank is drunk and he’s making out with a random girl and says he couldn’t pick her out of a lineup if he had to. He decides to break bottles. Arissa comes back to the room she starts interviewing people to see who made the mess. Steven pleads innocent and Trishelle says that she was with Arissa so it couldn’t have been her. Trishelle says that she doesn’t care what the boys do and Arissa walks out on her and leaves. You have Arissa and Irulan ready to leave the show and Trishelle is happy with whatever happens. Not much has changed five years later except Frank is now fugazi.

I remember hearing Father MC on the radio rapping about treating women with respect. I think it was even K-Ci singing the hook on the song (Mike will correct me if I’m wrong). And then I’ll Do 4 U hit the airwaves and I was hooked. It was executively produced by Andre Harrell and some kid named Sean “Puffy” Combs and sampled Cheryl Lynn’s Got To Be Real. I think I made my dad take me to Tower Record soon thereafter and Father MC’s Father’s Day was mine. I think the song Everything’s Gonna Be Alright was the better party anthem, but I’ll Do 4 U was the better radio song.

• Father MC looked like a skinny Big Daddy Kane mixed together with that one dude with the crazy hair from Black Sheep
• You mean they did full on choreography in hip hop videos back then?
• I know Puffy danced background in one of Father’s videos, but I don’t think it’s this one.
• Check out Mary J. Blige singing background.
• “If you introduce me to your mother then I say hello ma’am” always cracks me up for some reason.
• Father MC was like the romantic rapper and would even take it a step further by posing for Playgirl, not like I know that or anything.
• “The way I feel is real from the start/ So I stop playin’ games and mastered the art” – words to live by.

Where is Father MC these days? I have no clue. After the song Everything’s Gonna Be Alright which featured Jodeci, I didn’t hear anything else from the man. While he was always more of an entertainer than top lyricist, Father MC in late 1990/early 1991 was the man.

Today, Double J “graduated” from kindergarten. He’s now a first grader.