The Truth, The Future: Kid Cudi

So, I'm sitting at the PC here with the Grammy Awards on behind me and it got me thinking. I decided since the Grammy's are to honor the best in music over the past year I would take this opportunity to pay respect to someone I felt stepped up in this year. An artist that burst onto the scene and definitely impressed in his first major year in the public realm. An artist that hails from the same area I do, and that I very much enjoy. That is, Kid Cudi.
I like to liken myself to be someone with a lot of knowledge of the hip hop genre so posts similar to this may become common fair around here. But anyway, it is my opinion that Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi is one of the style's rising stars. My first knowledge of him came in XXL's (the premiere hip-hop magazine in the world right now) top 10 freshman of 2009 issue. He was listed as one of the top 10 new artists to watch out for in the year, and man, did they get that right. Cudder's smash hit "Day N' Nite" has been everywhere and back in the last year, perhaps you've heard it if you've turned on a radio in the past year. It provided the perfect glimpse into the rest of his album "The Man on the Moon", and the "lonely stoner" persona Kid Cudi presents on it."Man on the Moon" is certified gold to date.
Also, Cudi is know as an emotional and artistic catalyst for Jay-Z and Kanye West these days. Its widely known he teams up with them in the studio and that the 3 of them try to feed off each other. For instance, Cudi was the essential writer of West's hit song "Heartless". You see, it was West that discovered Cudi and placed him on West's label G.O.O.D. Music, along headliner and rap legend Common.
Cudi is widely heralded in the Cleveland area and considered the major music voice of the area at this point, even if he has moved to the Brooklyn area for his career.
Other credits to Cudi's name are the single "Pursuit of Happiness" which is on the charts right now and features a co-sign and major cameo by fellow up-and-comer Drake within the music video. From what I understand his 2nd album will be a collaboration album that has no projected release date yet. Rumored features come from Snoop Dogg, the Clipse, Pharrell, Drake, and Robin Thicke.
So, what do I think about Kid Cudi's actual skill on the microphone? He's dope, that what I think. Being real though, he's not the best lyricist, especially in consideration of rhyme schemes, but he knows it. He's said it himself in interviews, but he's also said he makes up for it with the passion and heart he puts into the lyrics, and it shines through. Its clear that's why Kanye signed him, Kanye himself values hard work and throws it into his own songs, that's why he gets so mad when he loses awards. Anyway, Cudi's passion and ability to tell stories and express his own experiences outshines the fact his rhyme schemes may fall short or come off as basic. Songs like "Soundtrack 2 My Life", "Day N Nite" and "My World" are perfect examples off of Man on the Moon.

Example:
"I'm super paranoid, like a 6th sense/
Since my father died, I ain't been writing since/...
The moon will illuminate my room and soon I'm consumed by my doom"

His flow is impeccable too. He is one of those artists that gets away with the rhymes because his flow is so clean and seamless. It doesn't hurt that he's an excellent chorus maker either, Cudi toes a delicate line of catchiness while still leaving meaning and importance to the hooks in his songs, although I'd say his best chorus work actually came on Jay-Z's "Already Home", where it was his sole contribution.
Finally, the production choices he goes for a cutting edge and fresh. Its not typical hip hop beats and it adds perfectly the the off kilter and edgy persona that Cudi attributes to his style and music. He does it differently, but he does it very effectively.
Needless to say, he burst of the scene in '09 with good reason and definitely has the skills for the future. Below is a video to a freestyle he did at Tim Westwood's radio show in London. Take a listen for yourself at an off the top of the head go Kid Cudi had at 3 verses, with improved lyricism to boot.

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry because this is going to be another venting post. I'm also sorry because this post is going to be continually apologetic (ironic). The reason I'm not making a "Reason I didn't post last night" post is because there is no real reason I didn't, other than pure laziness. For that I'm sorry. I was tired after playing Left 4 Dead 2 and decided to head to sleep.
I didn't really do much last night though, a Friday night. Went to dinner, played the aforementioned L4D2. There's something I feel like I need to say when it comes to this though, and it deals with my friends, some of whom may or may not actually see this post. For those of my friends who are in college and dig the party and spontaneous lifestyle... I'm sorry, its not how I roll.
Let me elaborate. I have a friend who spent his first semester of college this past fall away at school, most likely having a very "good time" (he's been known to do that). Well, he had to come back to town and commute like me, this semester, I won't get into why, I don't even really know. You could tell he was bummed about it though. Especially at the thought of the option of hanging with me and a couple of other people around me. We're low-key, we don't party much, especially me, and there's not a lot to do around here for college students. Quite a culture change from the lifestyle he had last semester I would think. So needless to say, its a letdown for him. Another friend came back yesterday for the night and morning and its kinda a similar situation with him, and as far as I know it was a lame night for him, at least by his standards for a Friday I'm sure, this is assuming he didn't find anything to entertain himself after I saw him. I could be wrong. Either way, the fact remains I did nothing to help the entertainment plans of my 2 friends, and haven't really lately. For that I'm sorry... but at the same time... I'm not. This is who I am. I have no problem spending a Friday night in, just hanging out, playing PS3 or listening to music, or something. I'm completely content with it. It makes me feel completely and totally lame in relation to them, but oh well. I can't help it, and I won't change.
So what's the point here? Once again, I don't really know (kinda a recurring theme here), but its probably just to describe this discrepancy I feel within myself, and the discord with my friends. I'm sorry it takes different situations for us to feel content, but that's the way it is. I don't know what else to say about it. Just that its really lousy I don't socialize with them at a very opportune socializing time (if that makes sense). You'd think we could take advantage of it, but don't because we don't see eye to eye. And I guess its that part of it that I'm really sorry about.
And lastly I'm sorry for this non-opinion based posts, they have to be really irrelevant to people not involved at all.

This is a Disservice to the City of Cleveland

And to any readers I may have. I apologize in advance, the following post is going to be me complaining for a few paragraphs. I have to say it though... This weather is terrible. I can't help it. There's a window right next to the computer here and a thermometer on the other side of said window. Its currently 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I'm actually thankful we only got 3 inches of snow, maybe a little less. I absolutely can't stand it. For those who live in warmer climates and wish they experienced snow, trust me, its cool like the first time you see it, then it gets old really fast. I mean it makes everything all slick, it takes forever to go anywhere. You got to put all these clothes on... hats, gloves, coats, boots, and so on. Its an adventure to try to walk anywhere without slipping and falling. My 8 minute walk from class to the library to do homework today was more like a 12 minute struggle through the wind in my face and the snow. Not very fun. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot worse things out there. That doesn't make the snow and cold any less of a nuisance though, and that's exactly what it is.
Here's the thing that gets me though. People actually like this stuff. People go skiing and sledding and trek through the snow and actually enjoy it. I don't get it. The only merit I see out of the snow is that I make some cash off of it, clearing it from driveways. Otherwise, all this weather makes me want to do is sit in my warm house... and sleep. Its like, who's the weird people here, me or the people that like this stuff?
I don't know, but I really don't think people were meant to live in the cold like this. Its the only thing I don't like about Cleveland, but when I think about it, its a lesser of evils. I mean, I'll take snow and cold and blizzards over hurricanes (southeast), or earthquakes, and mudslides (west), or floods (great plains). The only place I'd consider going is the desert, like Arizona. But I'm sure no matter how dry of a heat it is, 110 degrees is no picnic either.
So what's my point? Nothing more than to vent and see if anyone relates, and kinda just give an opinion. Comments are welcome, per usual.

-Hype

"Let's act right, and show these kids...

We can turn 'Yes, we can' into 'Yes, we did'".
I was sitting, watching my local news during dinner time tonight, and I found something that perturbed me. The news did a poll of people who were interested in watching President Obama's State of the Union address tonight. The answer was an overwhelming "No.", to the tune of 80% of the voters. That's in a liberal city... Cleveland, where you would think Obama would garner more support.
It brings back an issue I've definitely had over the past year or so. Many, many people worked hard to get President Obama elected. Their efforts and passion for the cause were incredible and admirable. I fear though, that upon his election, too many people considered their mission accomplished and sunk back into their indifference for the American political system.
This is sad. The American people literally just proved the incredible things they can accomplish due to the privileges allotted to them (they elected a black president!), then turned around, and stopped. What's even more striking is that they stopped during an economic crisis clearly relevant to the masses, a war (or arguably, 2 wars), and while a health care bill came to light that would give any or better health care to 47 million Americans.
It makes me scratch my head, and even more so because of the public discord that has grown with the Obama administration over the past year. His approval rating has sunk, and the list of cynics continues to grow. More and more people don't expect him and the government around him to be able to turn this around. Well, let me say this, they won't, at least not without a considerable effort from the American people.
That poll today showed me that Americans often don't bother to stay informed on what's going on. Even if you don't agree with President Obama's politics, would it not be advisable to listen to him speak in order to see his agenda for the coming year? An agenda, that he will attempt to accomplish whether you like it or not... and an agenda directly relevant to your life because it can directly alter your life.
Democracy will only work if the people embrace it and actively participate. That's as true in America as it is in Iraq . Standing idly by and expecting our legislators and President to do the work alone isn't only foolish, but not the preferred course of action at all. So this is my challenge, to ANYBODY and EVERYBODY that may happen to actually read this post. Make an effort to at least stay informed. You've been given a great privilege because you live in this country. You can form your own opinions and personally help shape the actions that will dictate our future. At the very least, be informed, and provide your input in any way you are willing. That means voting, and any thing else that you may deem fit. Trust me, it will be worth it.

2012? Global Warming?

Now let me be clear. I'm not Nostradamus, not even close, and I'm not a big conspiracy theorist. There are a couple that I entertain the idea of being legitimate, but that's a different post for a different day. Its also important that I say I didn't see the movie 2012, that's not the inspiration for this post. A certain other current event is to an extent though. The earthquake in Haiti really got me thinking. I look back through the last few years. Think of all the hardship, all the "natural disasters". Katrina, the tsunami in south Asia a few years ago, the recent earthquakes in Haiti, these 3 incidents immediately come to mind. There have been other major hurricanes that stuck the south east here. Recently, the desert in Arizona encountered double digit inch rain totals (I forget which city it was around), flooding the area and causing small chaos. Even simple things like mild and rainy summers in the midwest can raise eyebrows and make one wonder if this is normal.
The question is... are all these natural disasters really natural? Well, with a little research I was able to find that there has been an increase in recorded natural disasters in the world since 1960. I don't want to entirely jump to conclusions, part of this is because of more accurate recording as time progresses and technology gets better. Its still a little unsettling.
But what's the cause? Is this god's rath for our greed and recklessness as a world of people? Is it the 2012 prophecy coming to life? Is it an effect of global warming? Does global warming exist? Unfortunately, I can't give an answer to this. Your guess is as good as mine. I will say this much though, its interesting a lot of these disasters have happened in places where they would inflict at lot of suffering. Haiti's flat broke, as are a lot of the people of south east Asia. Our government certainly botched the Katrina situation. It just goes to show, we think we can master nature, but really can't. Nature will always have the last word, we are guests on this planet, we depend on it, not the other way around.
The final thing I'll say is, I think something is up. I don't know what it is, or why, but something is wrong here. And I'm sure we'll find out about it in the future. My hope is its not something so dramatic and awe-striking as the attention grabbing things noted in this post. So any and all comments are welcome. Even if you think I'm entirely full of it. It an interesting topic to consider for a while.

-Hype

So It Begins...

The Intramural basketball season that is. Game 1 of the season was tonight and although my team The Skins fell short of victory 63-60, it was an excellent effort. We're gonna be competitive and that alone is gonna be fun. I wasn't anything special tonight personally, 4 points, 3 rebounds coming off the bench. I'd didn't play a lot of minutes, so for my time on the floor, I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Its a shame we didn't win, but we almost came back from double digits and just ran out of time. There best player was easily there 6 foot 5 center, he wasn't a stiff, which you make expect for his height, he was skilled. I would know, I had to guard him a while. I think he scored like 7 off me in like 3 minutes. He ate me alive. I'm only 5 foot 11 so its a clear mismatch, but still, he owned. I'll make sure to update my basketball experiences as the season progresses. The next game is Wednesday night, and hopefully a win is on the horizon. Hopefully more playing time for me is on the horizon too, or I may demand a trade, or go Latrell Sprewell on everybody and choke our coach (only kidding). Wish the Skins luck.

The Reason I Didn't Post Last Night

VIKINGS-SAINTS EDITION



This title may become a recurring theme to the blog, like its own special form of post, but I digress.
Most American football fans were probably captivated last night by the NFC Conference Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. I know I certainly was. It was a heck of an entertaining game, with a proper combination of offense and defense to keep it very interesting. For those that may not know, the Saints won in overtime, 31-28 on a Garrett Hartley field goal. Hartley's a man that's gone from goat to hero this year after missing the majority of the regular season by being suspended, I believe for violating the league substance abuse policy, but its a great story for him to come back. Here's some more stories and thoughts I had about the game:
- Vikings Dominance: The Vikings REALLY should have won this game. They had 200+ more total yards then the Saints, who couldn't get anything done on 3rd and short let alone any third down whatsoever (there's even question to if Pierre Thomas really crossed the 1st Down marker in overtime on 4th and short). They also led time of possession and seemed to march the ball down field at will. However, they turned it over 5 times, and fumbled a grand total of 6, they lost 3 of them. They moved the ball great but scored less touchdowns than turnovers.
- Vikings still had a chance to win... The Vikings were at about the Saints 33 yard line with little time left in regulation. Brett Favre rolled right and instead of taking the 7 yards in front of him, and sliding down to protect the ball, he tried to thread the needle to Sydney Rice across the field. It was a killer mistake as the ball was intercepted by Tracy Porter, killing any hopes of a regulation victory for the Vikes. Even if Favre just gets 5 yards, its a 45 yard field goal. A very workable try for 13 year verteran Ryan Longwell, one of the most respected kickers in the league. There's no guarantee he would have made it, but it would've been pretty good odds. In retrospect though, I get why Favre threw it. He'd been able to squeeze balls in all day, and he's fearless back there. Plus, he hurt his leg in the 3rd quarter, who knows how his hobble for yardage would have turned out. Could he even slide on his leg? We don't know.
- Everyone's gonna remember the late interception... which is a shame. Favre played a really gutsy game and most of the 2nd half on one good leg. He DID throw for 310 yards in the game. He had such a wonderful season and to see him revert back to some old poor tendencies and to have it result in the Vikings downfall is very disappointing.
- Some credit must go to the Saints defense. Jonathon Vilma spearheaded it yesterday. 5 tackles, a pick, and a forced fumble were all clutch to the Saints success.
- The Saints came in knowing what they had to do... They knew the Vikes were very potent offensively and that they'd move the ball well. They also knew Minnesota has ball security problems. Adrian Peterson fumbles a lot (he did thrice), Favre has the gunslinger reputation (2 picks). They took advantage. They went after the ball every chance they got, and surprisingly they did it in a very calculated way that didn't result in a lot of big Vikings plays. Big ups to Gregg Williams, Saints defensive coordinator, for putting together an excellent game plan.
- Saints offense didn't really impress... If I were the Saints I'd be worried about the Colts. They won't give up the turnovers and therefore the field position that the Vikings did. The Saints struggled moving the ball, as aforementioned, and its somewhat perplexing for the NFL's best offense this year. And so much for the emergence of Reggie Bush... 7 carries equated 8 yards yesterday.
- Overall though, congrats to the Colts and Saints. They deserve this, they've been the 2 most dominant teams all season. Its wonderful to the see Saints franchise in their first Super Bowl, its a fanbase that suffered for a lot of years and is finally at the pinnacle of success. And I'm sure Peyton Manning & Co. will be in rare form as usual in 2 weeks, this Super Bowl honestly has the potential to be a very entertaining type game.

-Hype

The Left 4 Dead Series, the Exception to the Rule

First, some background... I like to engage in the video game playing when I have the free time, its a small past-time of mine. I'm a steadfast PS3 guy; I got one last Christmas and immediately fell in love with it. I find it to be a superior gaming console to the XBox 360, but that's a different post for a different day. Also, I've never been a big shooting games person, for whatever reason it didn't appeal to me, I don't know if it has to do with the idea of shooting and murdering people, a la Grand Theft Auto and the like, or if shooting just didn't appeal to me within itself. I've always been a sports gamer and then graduated to racing and fighting mostly. I've found an exception to these rules though, its the Left 4 Dead series, a Valve production.
The games are dope, I have no other way to describe it. They're suspenseful and keep you on the edge of your seat. In case you are unaware, the game is about 4 immune people trying to survive a zombie apocolypse when almost everyone around them is infected with a deadly disease that's turned them into murder-hungry zombies. Maybe part of the appeal is that I'm not shooting actual people, I'm shooting zombies in self defense, I don't know. As far as games though, its very much acclaimed, and with good reason.
There are 2 games in the series, the first was very good and the new one is mostly improved, but with no drastic changes. The highlight of the games is the wide array of weapons and how encorperating strategy into the game can bring your survival. The game is also great because it has responsive AI, it will respond to if you are doing really well or poorly, it will go for the kill with extra special infected or hordes of zombies when it sees the opportunity. Its almost like a momentum factor built in, or the game will keep you in check when it sees fit. Another quality is the similarity to a zombie-type movie that the games present themselves as, its an awesome element. Its believeable and awesome, and even encorperates proper music at critical points, that is also useful in the game for cluing the players in on what's coming next. So overall, the gameplay is fun and the changes coming from the AI make it really replayable and interesting each time you play, even after 10s or 100s of plays, and this goes for both games (the core of the 2 games is essentially the same, just with different storyline and features in each). The weapons and presentation are icing on the cake. The games are great, I recommend them very much if you have a 360 and are looking for something new to play and haven't checked them out. A couple of friends and I have burned quite a few hours fighting our way through the zombie apocolypse with these, and its well worth it.
Below is a brief gameplay video of Left 4 Dead 2, in several different chapters of the game. WARNING: LOTS OF ANIMATED BLOOD AND GORE.

How to Get Good Service at Buffalo Wild Wings

This is not to say the service at your local Buffalo Wild Wings sports bar isn't good to begin with, but I have a story that depicts how to get exemplary service. Two of my closest friends and I were minding our own business entering our own local BW3 with aspirations of viewing the Cleveland State Vikings basketball game while chowing on some chicken wings, a humble aspiration for a Friday night I would say. Well, as we entered we were faced with two ladies somewhat older than us, I'd say they were in their 30s, and their profanity laced banter. Clearly drunk, they were shouting at us, for no apparent reason, and sloppily offered us cigarettes. It was slightly alarming but rather harmless, just 2 ignorant drunk ladies being stupid, nothing more. The thing is, they made a scene in the front of the restaurant, right in front of the greeter's podium, where a number of staff members were standing during a lull in the evening action. Turns out this type of situation gains a lot of sympathy from the workers, perhaps we lucked out in that we frequent the place, but I'd personally like to thank those 2 drunk ladies leading us to a night of very good service in that sports bar. We were taken care of very well by our waiter and the rest of the staff, and that's a credit to them for taking care of their customers. Much respect. In short, the meal was great, Cleveland St. won, and we did well for ourselves for the night, and got a funny little story out of it. So, I don't know how you could set up this little scenario for yourself at a restaurant you like, but if you can, I'd highly recommend it. It seems to work, the only thing we didn't get as free stuff, haha.

-Hype

The Reason I Didn't Post Last Night

Lakers vs Cavs, people.



The city (Cleveland) was abuzz last night as the Cavs took on the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Cleveland is a simple city right now that's trying to rebuild itself into the respect and prosperity it once had. Its best and driving force in this optimistic growth is the Cavs, led by LeBron James, the best and most marketable player in the league, and visionary businessman Dan Gilbert, who owns the team.
By typical standards of the NBA season, this was a battle of epic porportions and definitely a test game for the Cavs to try to measure themselves up to the best, something they will have to continue to do until they actually eventually win a title. After last night though, the Cavs look well on their way. 93-87, Cavs, in a brutal defensively driven victory that contained a lot of physicality and hustle. The Cavs were able to do it without there 2nd best offensive option too, Mo Williams, who looks to be out 4-6 weeks with a torn shoulder. Delonte West stepped in to take his place at starting point guard, and after an off-kilter and unsure 1st half the Cavs seemed to hit their stride in the 2nd. The ball moved a lot better in the 3rd quarter, leading to change in the lead as an Anthony Parker 3 made it 60-59. For the most part, the Cavs sustained their dominance from there.
There were a few specific keys to the game, and potentially the Cavs' future (and the Lakers to an extent) that'd I'd like to highlight.
1. How will the Cavs do without Mo Williams long-term?
Well, last night things seemed ok. I think the Cavs are going to utilize Shaquille O'Neal more, as seen in the 2nd half last night. The ball was going in to Shaq a lot, who faced little resistance from Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. This brings the Cavs options too, if a double comes, someone will be open. Shaq's a good passer, and the Cavs have one of the best shooting teams in the league (LeBron, Parker, West, etc.) However, on my ride home from school today, I was listening to Tony Rizzo's radio show on ESPN 850, turns out West hurt his left ring finger going after a loose ball last night. This is a problem. Daniel Gibson's about to go from very few minutes to starting probably, or at least playing big minutes. Hopefully he's ready. I will say he's looked much improved this year in the time he's had.
2. Cavs' defense in 4th Quarter...
Its incessant. Kobe had a measly 4 points in the 4th. The Cavs jack the meter up to 11 in the 4th Quarter defensively, and I love it. It makes the injuries hurt their prospects a little less too. The defense can keep them in games.
3. LeBron outshined Kobe...
Kobe may have became the youngest to reach 25,000 points last night (a stupid stat because he took nearly 300 games more to reach it than Wilt Chamberlin), but it was LeBron's night. 37 points, 9 assists, and a more efficient game. LeBron scores more efficiently than anyone else in the league, he distributes the ball and reaches high point totals with less shots, all were apparent last night.
4. J.J Hickson steps up...
Hickson was marvelous last night. He out toughed the Lakers big men, and gained a double-double, including 14 rebounds, he just snatched a ball from Lamar Odom for one of them, as I remember. If Hickson can play close to this most of the time, I feel really good about him, he can really embody the defense and effort of this team.
5. Speaking of defense, toughness, and effort...
Its clear the Lakers lack it right now. Gasol looked weak and uninterested last night. Anderson Varejao shoved him out the way during the game on a rebound. Kobe even said it last night in shootaround before the game. The Lakers don't like the "East Coast style of play", meaning defense, hustle, and physicality. They're ripe for the picking for an Eastern team, or even a motivated Spurs team in a 7 game series.
6. Cavs sweep the series...
If I were the Lakers, I'd be a little concerned. They couldn't get up to defeat a major competitor in the Cavs, either time they played, even after getting embarrassed on Christmas Day on their own floor by them. The strength in the league may be shifting.
Any opinions on this game, or the NBA are welcome.

The Story of My New Year's Execution

Hello. I'm glad to be making my first feature post here, and hope you will all enjoy it. This is about my New Year's Execution. Now don't get it twisted, this is an EXECUTION, not a resolution. I'm not resolving, because resolutions are breakable. Executions have it stated in the name that the goals is being finished (or executed). So, my execution this year is to just grow as a person. I look at it, I'm 19 years old. I've got a lot of things I've never experienced, that I've never shared with people, and its time to start moving forward with my life, and this is in many aspects. The most serious of it being work and preparing myself for my future. Without giving out too much personal information I'd like to say securing a job some time this year is of severe importance, regardless of its just basic part time work or not. Also, I need to start taking baby steps into my industry of sport management, that along with my education should be able to put me into a good place. My grades have always been good (3.86 cumulative right now) so I hoping for the best. Its just a scary situation though. I fear the future, I fear the unknown, but I know its coming no matter what, so I should do the best I can, right? This is part of the reason this blog is called "Hype Steps Up", I'm hoping in a way it can chronicle my growth. I'm glad I'm doing this, at the very least I'm sorting my own thoughts. Can anyone out there relate?
I'm hoping to grow in other ways though too. Ever since I started college I've reverted to being an introvert, something that was big for me in the first 2 years of high school. I don't have many friends at school, although my high school friends are awesome, but most of them are split off at different schools, and are often hard to see. So I'm stuck in the status quo right now. Once again, fear is my obstacle. The unknown of new people terrifies me, and admittedly I'm even worse with girls. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate them though, I am very hetero (that may become more apparent in future posts).
One final thing I need to grow with. I keep a lot of stuff bottled up, another reason for this blog. I'm laying my thoughts and opinions out there for people to see, which should make it easier to do in reality and public. That is my hope at least. This and my rap are gonna be that therapy for me. I hope you come along for the ride.
I feel like those are the major issues for me right now. I got some stuff to sort out, and that's my New Year's Execution. So far I'm doing alright. I was just telling a good friend of mine some stuff that had been on my chest, and this blog should be instrumental in my growth I hope. So making it can be key. I'm also trying to takes steps forward in my industry currently too, through the encouragement of a class I'm taking right now. It looks like I'm close on some volunteer opportunities. Come to think of it, I need to send an e-mail about them, so I'm out. But any comments are more than welcome. Get at me, and good night.

-Hype

Introduction

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the show. I'm here to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name will remain a mystery, but you can call me Hype.
I'm a 19 year old college student from the Cleveland, Ohio area. I'm very proud of where I come from, and like to represent Cleveland.
I love baseball and most sports, expect them to be a major topic within this blog, and I'm specifically a Cleveland sports fan. More than anything else, I'm a fan of my beloved Cleveland Indians. My sports interests go deep enough to be a sport management major at school.
I also love music, especially hip-hop, and I mean true hip-hop... real lyrical, meaningful stuff. Some of my favorites are Eminem, Nas and Common for example. My appreciation of hip-hop doesn't stop there, I rap myself. I'm an amateur rapper, but love it as a form of artistic expression. Hopefully some audio or a youtube channel is in the works soon. I'd love for some people to hear what I have to offer.
I like other forms of music too, quite a bit, and I definitely have some guilty pleasures, but more will come about those later.
I'm a moralistic person, which is tough to explain. I'm a religious Christian, and I'll leave my beliefs at that, I'm not here to talk about religion. It leads me to be the best person I can be. I don't smoke or drink, I respect all people, and try to live life as best I can. I'll leave it at that.
Otherwise, I'm pretty typical.
I like video games. I own a PS3. I'm playing a lot of NBA Live 10 right now. Ask for my PSN username if you're interested.
I like television too. My favorite TV show right now is Castle. Its very underrated.
I'm here to share my mind and express myself, and I hope I can do it in an entertaining manner. Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Got any questions? Leave a comment. I'd love to answer them.