Lil Wayne-Pray to the Lord

My sophomore year in high school, I listened to this song every day, once before i went to sleep and like 10 times before i left the house in the morning. Nowadays this song has been replaced by "The calm" By Drake, and the whole House of Balloons mixtape.

Aloe Blacc-I need a Dollar

Just heard this guy while flipping through the channels. I like his sound. think ill look up more of his stuff.

Letter to my unborn son..."If"...

Rule #21

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—-and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—-which is more—-you’ll be a Man, my son!"

— Rudyard Kipling, “If”

Will Smith in action: One of the best actors of all time.

Not to many rappers can go from doing what they do, to being a GOOD actor. But Will Smith pretty much mastered it. So did Queen Latifah, and Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg)

But this clip shows why Will Smith is one of the best actors of all time. And my personal favorite....

None of it counts if you dont graduate!

"None of it counts if you dont graduate". I heard this ealier today before I got up to do one of my slave task(speaking engagement)... When he said that I kind of titled my head, you know.. like dogs do when they see you do something out of the ordinary. Im going to have to say that I disagree with him.. You learn so much more along the way!
A wihile back I did a post about what I learned in high school.. And honestly I wouldnt trade any of that for the world. And im only about to finish my first year and Ive already leaned so much.. think about it.. What do you learn from graduating? How to walk down an aisle in a single line? How that help you in the real world.. what will you do the day after graduation?

It alll counts... whether you graduate or not. This sounds like one of those things ill be telling my children down the road.. but I dont think ill tell them until they graduate...Ive always pictured graduation as something for the parents, for their own satisfaction. When I was in high school, I would have been perfectly fine allowing the school to just mail my diploma!

Speaking of kids, when was the last time I wrote a letter to them?

These will be the best memories....

I think this was probably one of the realest music video ive ever seen in my life. Big ups to Big Sean..

Go HARD or go HOME

When I was given my scholarship the dean failed to notify me that I would become a slave to the College of Business. I just learned recently, that in the fine print of the contract I signed when I accepted the scholarship. I am required to appear at banquets, recruiting events, and other random events as needed, and failure to do so, could result in me losing my scholarship.(they wouldnt do that though, im the best they have)
Usually I just end up talking about why I came to UIC(usually a lie to pump up the school). They want me to tell my experience but told me not to be "too honest"(then why am I here? im confused) Anywho, Im a pretty smart guy, but I still surprised by someof the things that come out of my mouth. It makes so much sense,and its so simple, but often times packs a big punch that carries alot of meaning. Like my latest statement today when I was tellign some high school students about some of the things I plan to do with my life within the next 5 years. This smart ass chaperon questioned my list of goals, he said.. "Thats alot of things to do. Very ambitious list. But is it all realistic?Do you think its appropriate to make these kids believe that you, them, or anyone else can "conquer the world" in such a short time?"
ME: I think its extremely approprate to send the message that they can do ANYTHING.I say go hard or go home. I'd rather swing for the fences and miss than bunt for an easy out.

He was a prick.. And I made him shut up.

Grant Hill talks the "Fab Five"

The Fab Five,” an ESPN film about the Michigan basketball careers of Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson from 1991 to 1993, was broadcast for the first time Sunday night. In the show, Rose, the show’s executive producer, stated that Duke recruited only black players he considered to be “Uncle Toms.” Grant Hill, a player on the Duke team that beat Michigan in the 1992 Final Four, reflected on Rose’s comments.

I am a fan, friend and longtime competitor of the Fab Five. I have competed against Jalen Rose and Chris Webber since the age of 13. At Michigan, the Fab Five represented a cultural phenomenon that impacted the country in a permanent and positive way. The very idea of the Fab Five elicited pride and promise in much the same way the Georgetown teams did in the mid-1980s when I was in high school and idolized them. Their journey from youthful icons to successful men today is a road map for so many young, black men (and women) who saw their journey through the powerful documentary, “The Fab Five.”

It was a sad and somewhat pathetic turn of events, therefore, to see friends narrating this interesting documentary about their moment in time and calling me a bitch and worse, calling all black players at Duke “Uncle Toms” and, to some degree, disparaging my parents for their education, work ethic and commitment to each other and to me. I should have guessed there was something regrettable in the documentary when I received a Twitter apology from Jalen before its premiere. I am aware Jalen has gone to some length to explain his remarks about my family in numerous interviews, so I believe he has some admiration for them.

In his garbled but sweeping comment that Duke recruits only “black players that were ‘Uncle Toms,’ ” Jalen seems to change the usual meaning of those very vitriolic words into his own meaning, i.e., blacks from two-parent, middle-class families. He leaves us all guessing exactly what he believes today.

I am beyond fortunate to have two parents who are still working well into their 60s. They received great educations and use them every day. My parents taught me a personal ethic I try to live by and pass on to my children.

I come from a strong legacy of black Americans. My namesake, Henry Hill, my father’s father, was a day laborer in Baltimore. He could not read or write until he was taught to do so by my grandmother. His first present to my dad was a set of encyclopedias, which I now have. He wanted his only child, my father, to have a good education, so he made numerous sacrifices to see that he got an education, including attending Yale.

This is part of our great tradition as black Americans. We aspire for the best or better for our children and work hard to make that happen for them. Jalen’s mother is part of our great black tradition and made the same sacrifices for him.

My teammates at Duke — all of them, black and white — were a band of brothers who came together to play at the highest level for the best coach in basketball. I know most of the black players who preceded and followed me at Duke. They all contribute to our tradition of excellence on the court.

It is insulting and ignorant to suggest that men like Johnny Dawkins (coach at Stanford), Tommy Amaker (coach at Harvard), Billy King (general manager of the Nets), Tony Lang (coach of the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins in Japan), Thomas Hill (small-business owner in Texas), Jeff Capel (former coach at Oklahoma and Virginia Commonwealth), Kenny Blakeney (assistant coach at Harvard), Jay Williams (ESPN analyst), Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies) and Chris Duhon (Orlando Magic) ever sold out their race.

To hint that those who grew up in a household with a mother and father are somehow less black than those who did not is beyond ridiculous. All of us are extremely proud of the current Duke team, especially Nolan Smith. He was raised by his mother, plays in memory of his late father and carries himself with the pride and confidence that they instilled in him.

The sacrifice, the effort, the education and the friendships I experienced in my four years are cherished. The many Duke graduates I have met around the world are also my “family,” and they are a special group of people. A good education is a privilege.

Just as Jalen has founded a charter school in Michigan, we are expected to use our education to help others, to improve life for those who need our assistance and to use the excellent education we have received to better the world.

A highlight of my time at Duke was getting to know the great John Hope Franklin, John B. Duke Professor of History and the leading scholar of the last century on the total history of African-Americans in this country. His insights and perspectives contributed significantly to my overall development and helped me understand myself, my forefathers and my place in the world.

Ad ingenium faciendum, toward the building of character, is a phrase I recently heard. To me, it is the essence of an educational experience. Struggling, succeeding, trying again and having fun within a nurturing but competitive environment built character in all of us, including every black graduate of Duke.

My mother always says, “You can live without Chaucer and you can live without calculus, but you cannot make it in the wide, wide world without common sense.” As we get older, we understand the importance of these words. Adulthood is nothing but a series of choices: you can say yes or no, but you cannot avoid saying one or the other. In the end, those who are successful are those who adjust and adapt to the decisions they have made and make the best of them.

I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped them back then for their appearance and swagger. I wish for you the restoration of the bond that made you friends, brothers and icons.

I am proud of my family. I am proud of my Duke championships and all my Duke teammates. And, I am proud I never lost a game against the Fab Five.

Grant Henry Hill
Phoenix Suns
Duke ‘94

"Please tell me youre lying...."

So when I came to college. I knew alot of people, but there was pretty much only a couple people I actually hung with and considered friends....
There was a couple guys, and a couple girls. One of the girls hated UIC so much that she decide to move back to Ohio and attend the University of Akron. She had been on my mind the past couple days so i decided to text her today. The conversation went like this:
Me: Hey whats up kid
Her: Borom! What a surprise.. You know I like how we went from seeing and talking to each other everyday to me not hearing from you in months. If you didnt want to get married, you could have just said it. lol
Me: Lol, you know my number hasnt changed either. But it has been a while. So fill me in, whats been going on in your world?
Her: Hmm? Lets see? I hate my school, Im still with my boyfriend, o yeah and im pregnant.
Me: ..... Please tell me you're lying....

No, no she wasnt lying. but i wish she was. She just turned 19, and she was really a good girl with a little edge. She was adorable(not like the "i want to squeeze your cheeks adorable" the sexy adorable, really petite but still with a mature body) smart, funny as hell, and had a plan.. She made my first semester at UIC so much better, worth while. Now... she's really pregnant. When I asked her "what now?". The girl with the plan had no answer. Shes the daughter of two engineers, and wanted to be a doctor. Now.. She has a school she will probably dropout of school, go live with her long time hood boyfriend, and end up living a mediocre life in Cleavland...Sucks how things turn out.Even though she obviously isnt that smart, not adorable at all, has no plan, but atleast she's still funny.

"Dude, youre not that famous"

Lol, last semester during that meeting with Derrick Rose and Henry Thomas. My adviser at that time said half jokingly to Rose "Dude, shut up youre not even that famous".
Well actually before the 2010-11 NBA season started he really wasnt as popular as he his now. Unless you followed the NBA, The Chicago Bulls, College ball, or high school basketball, you probably wouldnt know who he is. Maybe what my adviser said offended rose enough to go out and get a new business manager, and/or pressure him to get him more air time. But since this season started, he has been in like 10 commercials, he has a new signature shoe, and all of this gave him the balls to just not show up to a taping of a nationally syndicated tv show that he was supposed to appear in.

Not only has he been killing off the court, he has been killing on the court as well! He's doing so well that he has Michael Jordan saying and I quote "Derrick Rose is MVP of the season".. Mind you, he said this AFTER Derrick just beat Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats.

Im going to have to catch up with my old adviser, see if he can set up another meeting with Rose.Imagine if he he was my first Pro-Basketball client. I need to hurry up and get my Series 65. lol