Music is drug. Simply put, it's an all purpose ointment for the peaks and valleys that come with the day to day tribulations of life.    

The mind blowing thing about music is that there's such a vast amount of ground to cover out there that there's always an unique project, or an artist that can trigger a certain emotion or premonition within you for each disposition possible. There's music for the turn up, there's music that numbs you when you're seeking an escape from reality, there's music that will take you to an introspective and reflective space

Everybody has a distinct taste and your personal musical DNA is as unique to your individuality as your social security number. It's nothing unexpected that loving similar music can be both a subject of discussion, a device for association, and a source of kinship to both the Artist and other devout fans stans. As work's in progress, there's always a significant number of features of personalization that originate from the music we listen to and I've always been a proponent that the music you listen to during the day will have a direct effect on your psyche for the day. 

Someone tweeted about how people born in 1994 are the new old heads...and yeah that may of had a spec of some truth to it. "You had to be outside" may qualify as a overused trope that justifies the rolling of ones eyes, but there's some truth to it. Living through music in your headphones doesn't compare to the organic utility of music and how it spreads and touches the people. Some of the music below was released before i could even form sentences or even string together coherent thoughts, so there's an element of it missing from my personal experience and had to be learned retroactively but it doesn't take away from the quality of the music standing the test of time.

For the record, Doggystyle & Illmatic each came out before i took my first breath, which is crazy and spotlights the lifespan of timeless music. The battle on IG Live between DJ Premier & RZA put a spotlight on the modern beauty of hip-hop which has now spanned several generations and now instead of janky ass handmedowns being passed down the gift of timeless music can be given to anyone with enough reverence for the dominant culture to do their due diligence. 

Below is a list of the albums i would define as the fiber of my musical DNA. At anytime if you would've came up to me and asked me what album or project has been on repeat for you? The answer would've been found somewhere on here. This list spans several eras from Cassette's, CD's, limewire, the Streaming era, and the Blog era. Enjoy!

1994 - Doggy Style - Snoop Dogg
1994 - Illmatic - Nas
1994 - Ready to Die - The Notorious B.i.G
1995 - The Infamous - Mobb Deep
1995 - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.. - Raekwon
1996 - Brown Sugar - D'angelo
1996 - Hell on Earth - Mobb Deep

1996 - Beats Rhymes & Life - A Tribe Called Quest 
1996 - It was Written - Nas
1996 - Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z
1996 - ATLiens - Outkast
1997  - Life After Death - The Notorious B.i.G
1998 - Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood - DMX  
1997 – No Way Out – Puff Daddy and The Family
1997 - Baduism - Erykah Badu
1998 – Aquemini – Outkast 
1999 – Black on Both Sides – Mos Def
1999 – The Roots Come Alive – The Roots
2000 - Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah
2000 – The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem 
2000 – Stankonia – Outkast
2000 – Country Grammar – Nelly
2000 - Whoa Nelly! - Nelly Furtado
2000 - The Dynasty: Roc La Familia - Jay-Z
2001 – Songs in A Minor – Alicia Keys
2001 - 8701 - Usher
2001 – The Blueprint – Jay-Z
2001 – Stillmatic – Nas
2002 – Songs About Jane – Maroon 5
2002 - Cam'Ron - Come Home With Me
2003 – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
2003 – Speakerboxxx/Love Below – Outkast 
2003 – Chicken-N-Beer – Ludacris
2003 – The Black Album – Jay-Z 
2003 – Diplomatic Immunity – The Diplomats
2003 - Trap Muzik - T.I.
2004 – The College Dropout – Kanye West
2004 – Confessions – Usher
2004 – Urban Legend – T.I.
2004 - Madvillainy - MF Doom
2004 - Purple Haze - Cam'Ron
2004 - The New Testament - Suga Free
2005 – The Documentary – The Game
2005 – Be – Common 
2005 – Late Registration – Kanye West
2005 – Tha Carter II – Lil Wayne 
2005 – Thug Motivation 101 – Young Jeezy 
2005 - The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey
2006 – B’Day – Beyonce
2006 – Futuresex/Lovesounds – Justin Timberlake 
2006 – Back to Black – Amy Winehouse 
2006 – KING – T.I
2006 - Hell Hath no Fury - Clipse
2006 - Dedication 2 - Lil Wayne
2006 - Hustlers P.O.M.E - Jim Jones
2006 - The Blue Carpet Treatment - Snoop Dogg
2006 - The Best Thang Smokin' - Young Dro
2007 - Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) - Styles P
2007 – Graduation – Kanye West
2007 - Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
2007 – Alive 2007 – Daft Punk 
2007 - Da Drought 3 - Lil Wayne
2009 – The Cool – Lupe Fiasco
2008 – Seeing Sounds – N.E.R.D
2008 - Young Jeezy - The recession
2008 - The Mixtape About Nothing - Wale
2008 - Graduation - Kanye West
2009 - Jay-Z - American Gangster

2009 - Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon

2009 - The Warm Up - J Cole

2009 - Deeper Than Rap - Rick Ross

2009 - No Ceilings - Lil Wayne

2009 - The State versus Radric Davis - Gucci Mane
2009 - Flying Lotus - CosmoGramma

2010 – Teflon Don – Rick Ross
2010 - Friday Night Lights - J Cole
2010 - Flockaveli - Waka Flocka Flame

2010 - Everything Based - Lil B

2010 - Last Train to Paris - Diddy/Dirty Money

2010 – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West 
2010 - Kush & Orange Juice - Wiz Khalifa
2011 - Self Made Vol 1 - Maybach Music Group

2011 - 2 Chainz - TRU Realigion
2012 - Lloyd Banks - Cold Corner 2
2012 - Back From the Dead - Chief Keef
2012 - Rich Forever - Rick Ross
2012 - The Yellow Album - Dom Kennedy
2012 - Detroit - Big Sean
2012 - Kaleidoscope Dream - Miguel
2012 - Late Nights: The Mixtape - Jeremih
2013 - Crenshaw - Nipsey Hussle
2013 - Stolen Youth - Vince Staples & Larry Fisherman
2013 - Blue Chips 2 - Action Bronson
2014 - Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid Mad City
2014 - Tha Tour Pt 1 - Rich Gang
2014 - Monster - Future
2014 - $ign Language - Ty Dolla $ign
2014 - X - Chris Brown
2014 - Pinata - Freddie Gibbs
2015 - BUSH - Snoop Dogg
2015 -Barter 6 - Young Thug
2015 - DS2 - Future
2016 - Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
2016 - The Sun's Tirade - Isaiah Rashad
2016 - Anti - Rihanna
2017 - Future - Future
2017 - Future - HNDRXX
2018 - Daytona - Pusha T
2019 - Bandana - Freddie Gibbs

Guest Blog by: @MainEventSaz

*Warning*

*If you are not used to to digesting a high level of ignorance at one time, please brace yourself for what you're about to read. Also, If you are prone to hating or known to have sucker tendencies, you definitely won't comprehend the gems that are about to be dropped, so you probably should stop reading right now* 

This issue right here covers everyone from grown ass adults to middle schoolers. 

A Survival guide for the male species. A chance at redemption & all round rules to live by in your dating life.


The Four principles of the game: 1. Put yourself First 2. Take NOTHING PERSONAL 3. Never make any assumptions 4. Relax!


I. Put yourself first

Self explanatory, if you don’t do what’s best for you the game will run you ragged and you’ll end up falling prey to your internal bozo instincts and evidently sacrificing your physical and mental health.
Self confidence is a major key to attraction from the opposites sex point of view, if you're psyche is fragile enough to the point where you have trouble handling rejection or begin acting out of character this will not end well for you my friend.

II.Take nothing personal

Men & women are similar in some ways. She can have sex after a night of drinking on Dyckman with her homegirls and still like you very much! Her choice to fornicate with the next man had nothing to do with you brother, it was her choice! Understanding that she just might belong to the streets and NOT you is just par for the course.

We all have eyes and can spot someone who's fine as hell, so when you notice every weekend she's posting videos on her IG story blowing smoke via a mint Hookah pipe, just think about all the dudes who gonna spit their best game and try and get her number. Or even worse, if she's a dime piece with a massive social media following. All it takes is some quick math's to realize the competition and the numbers game at hand.

III. Never make any assumptions

You could have money, make all the time in the world for her, buy her nice things, $200 dates, why would you think that guarantees pussy? Or loyalty even? At the end of the day the decision is always in the hands of the woman. Her giving you some is her choice and her alone. Right before that beloved moment when you're about to engage in some consensual nastiness, just take a second to yourself and say "Wow. This dumb broad could've given anyone else in the world some pussy but she chose me!" and enjoy the moment.

The only assumption you should be making with a chick who is not your girlfriend is that you're just one of the many horses in her stable of men that she chooses to ride. This is not necessarily a bad thing though if you play your cards right! Being her favorite nigga will get you much further and more appreciated in the long run opposed to losing sleep over knowing dick is just one iMessage away for her when you think about the logistical realities of dealing with attractive women.

Rejection is just a part of the game. Every real nigga has gotten rejected before. But the Realest Niggas just understand that it's a part of the game and move on to the next broad while others will get sad over a chick and go home and just listen to Take Care all night like a simp. 

IIII. Relax!

Very important. Many men get their heart broken. Dude it’s ok! We all take Ls. You are allowed to be upset but RELAX! The next decision you make is crucial!!! Wrong move & and you can embarrass yourself or even put your reputation in jeopardy if you choose to go the route of moving like a sucker. Don't be one of these niggas leaking nudes or exposing woman on the timeline, all this does is shine the light on yourself as being a bozo and potentially tweet yourself out of additional vagina in the future.

Smarten up. It's 2020, Ladies is pimps too, and have just as much game if not more than most niggas. In this world where OnlyFans links are multiplying by the hour, chicks have finally realized they can exploit the collective horniness of the male specie as a power dynamic and monetarily.

Exposing a girl for being a hoe is like exposing a dog for wagging it's tail. You don't get any points for this, and all it's gonna do is end up with you on the Summer Jam screen, or worst aired out on the timeline for going out like a sucker.

Keep her number saved just in case. 

Once sh*t gets rocky between shawty and her mans make sure your one of the first people to hit her with that "You know I would of never treated you like that, right?" text. Timing is key. Rebound p*ssy is almost guaranteed if you play it right my friends. 

The bar is often the floor and a lot of dudes don't even know how to treat a woman right, so chances have it if you play your part and keep things from getting messy you can get reciprocated eventually down the line for being a good street soldier. 

Conclusion:

Just know you can be very happy and live a blissful life if you know the game, choose to ignore it and it can possibly rear it’s ugly head in the worst way if you don't handle it proficiently..

This isn't for everyone, so if it isn't just find you a Queen and start building to avoid the dark abyss of being in the trenches. Long story short... stop going out sad. The game is the game.

Posted by: @AsherFeltman

The fact that I’m doing non-Marvel Cinematic Universe Marvel rankings —and not the other way around— would have been worth quite the laugh not even two decades ago. (MCU rank here.)

When Marvel Comics was going bankrupt in the 90s, they started auctioning off movie rights to their flagship characters. Sony went in for Spider-Man —fatefully rejecting an expanded deal to have rights to the whole Marvel roster— also obtaining Ghost Rider and Luke Cage.

Fox acquired Marvel’s teams, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, as well as Daredevil. Universal received the Hulk, Lionsgate got the Punisher and New Line Cinema obtained Blade. The vampire hunter actually got the first big-budget Marvel movie, released in 1998.

Nobody wanted Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Wasp, Ant-Man or Captain Marvel. The Guardians of the Galaxy were surely not even discussed, save for whatever the smug studio big shot version of a joke.

Unlike DC Comics, who are wholly owned by Warner Bros., Marvel’s character rights are distributed across several big companies (for now).

Their foray into movies hasn’t been very amazing. Or incredible. Or spectacular. Or fantastic. Or superior or uncanny or astonishing or invincible.

By all accounts, there has been more bad than good. Outside of the MCU, the various studios have produced far more duds than winners. It’s always unfortunate to see a group of folks paid to make movies make something terrible.

But here we are. TV shows and animated movies included.

43. The Punisher (1989)

Terrible. Even for the 80s.

42. Fantastic Four (2015)

The movie inexplicably skips a large chunk of time at one point. If only that actually happened.

41. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

The first Ghost Rider is sufficiently average, at best. The sequel uses some unorthodox camera work which adds nausea to nausea. I guess Idris Elba wasn’t hand-picking roles yet.

40. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Another sequel that flopped after a flop. Marvel’s original team deserves better, clocking in at an unusually short 92-minute superhero run time to simply get this thing over with.

39. Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

That it’s made for made-for-TV excuses its blatant mediocrity. HOWEVER, David Hasselhoff flexes his charm to give the film something to desire.

38. The Punisher (2004)

Another pretty bad Punisher film (they would even go for three) that is saved from the depths of despair, at least in my eyes, by a strong Frank Castle portrayal from Thomas Jane.

37. X-Men: Apocalypse

The X-Men cinematic universe is obviously a huge mess. But First Class and Days of Future Past had done wonders to right Fox’s narrative wrongs. With Apocalypse, they destroyed any such progress.

36. Blade II

The Blade movies are gory, aggressive and violent. A unique, no holds barred Marvel character, it’s like Deadpool without the jokes.

35. Ghost Rider

There’s a weird sadness in Nicolas Cage’s eyes. He’s solid as the Rider himself, but any attempt to humanize Johnny Blaze is pretty corny.

34. Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series, 2012)

The jumping off point in Spider-Man television for yours truly. Drake Bell as the titular hero isn’t the problem, as bizarre as that sounds, and the full Marvel roster at the show’s disposal is a big plus. The content, though, is frustratingly juvenile.

33. Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United

Marvel’s animated collection isn’t super strong, and has pretty much been abandoned with the meteoric rise of the MCU. This animated movie is decent, but weirdly reuses a lot of score from Captain America: The First Avenger. Amazing music, but feels recycled.

32. X-Men: The Last Stand

Bryan Singer ditched the franchise once he had the chance to direct Superman Returns, taking Cyclops actor James Marsden with him. Marsden’s character, one of the most popular X-Men, is therefore abruptly killed off in the movie’s opening minutes. It’s chaotic and weird, but fun.

31. Spider-Man (TV series, 1967)

Corny but with the times. Not unlike Adam West’s Batman, there was a time for this kind of show and that time has passed.

30. Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther

The Ultimate comic-verse is a different take on the Marvel universe, reimagined to reignite comic book sales in the early 2000s. A pair of okay movies were made about them.

29. Daredevil

Ben Affleck is not the problem here. But he’s not really the solution. Bullseye and Kingpin are worthy adversaries and it’s a faithful Daredevil tale. Shoutout to Jon Favreau for playing both Foggy Nelson and Happy Hogan.

28. The Invincible Iron Man

Released a year before the real Iron Man changed everything. Marvel’s animated partnership with Lionsgate was never really explored.

27. Venom

Once Venom actually appears, the 2018 film packs a punch despite possessing the writing and competence of the previous generation’s superhero flicks.

26. Thor: Tales of Asgard

Animated movie about Thor and Loki’s complicated brotherhood.

25. Hulk

Ang Lee’s highly anticipated Hulk movie gets a little nutty in the second half, but Eric Bana is solid as the main protagonist and the action is impressive.

24. Ultimate Avengers

The predecessor to Rise of the Panther, it’s fondly remembered to me as being heavily focused on Captain America’s de-frosty arrival to the new world.

23. Blade

The first big Marvel movie is bonkers. Wesley Snipes is fantastic as the conflicted vampire hunter and Kris Kristofferson is a lovable grizzly tough guy mentor.

22. Fantastic Four

I liked it enough and it certainly stands out amongst the two other terrible Fantastic Four movies. Questionable casting aside, I thought the comic book aspirations were admirable.

21. Hulk Versus

A two-part animated blood fest that pits the Hulk against Thor (and Loki) on their planet Asgard and Wolverine in his homeland Canada.

20. Daredevil (Netflix series, 2015)

The one Netflix series I’ve seen all the way through, I think the character’s meaningful dual identity as both hero and lawyer was well-served over the course of a TV series. Stardust alum Charlie Cox is strong.

19. Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme

The animated movies mostly retell stories that have been frequented on paper, but this Doctor Strange picture brings up a whole new character, Stephen Strange’s younger sister April.

18. X-Men

My biggest problem with the X-Men movies actually isn’t the timeline —though that’s quite the hindrance— but rather the casting. Outside of some home runs like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman, Fox has long struggled to cast the extensive X-Men roster. (Jennifer Lawrence taking this particular cake.)

17. Planet Hulk

Perhaps the greatest Hulk comic, later serving as the DNA to Thor: Ragnarok because Marvel can’t make a Hulk film without Universal Studios, the animated compatriot is one of the better animated Marvel films.

16. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

My love for Hugh Jackman certainly elevates this movie. I think it’s actually pretty good, telling a worthwhile Wolverine origin story that turns Sabretooth into a sort of Loki-esque rival.

15. X-Men: First Class

After The Last Stand disaster and a tepid response to Wolverine’s first solo outing, a reboot was in store. Kick-Ass and Stardust director (couldn’t help a second shoutout) Matthew Vaughn came in and successfully put the franchise back on track before departing to helm Kingsman.

14. The Wolverine

The second Wolverine picture, unsure about its relationship to the previous X-Men movies. Logan has substantial comic heritage in Japan, and the samurai sword combat mixed with those Adamantium claws is worth the trip across the Pacific. Jackman is on top of his game, outshining pretty much everything else. Things start out great but gradually turn to just good enough by the conclusion.

13. X2: X-Men United

After Marvel’s first cinematic blockbuster with X-Men, the sequel got to graduate from multiple introductions. The story focuses heavily on Wolverine and William Stryker’s Weapon X Project. Wolverine is certainly one of the most popular mutants, and just like the first film he shares the spotlight with Professor X and Magneto. It comes at the expense of other characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm. Thankfully Wolverine is my favorite X-Man.

12. Deadpool

After righting the course of their flagship X-Men movies, Fox decided to make up for including Wade Wilson and Deadpool in the 2009 Wolverine movie. That wasn’t Deadpool. It was more like a very pissed off Pokemon Ditto. With Ryan Reynolds not allowing the project to fail, it passed with sparkling, bright colors.

11. Logan

The X-Men films have struggled to keep up with the evolution of comic book movies, failing to capitalize on a gigantic roster of heroes and villains. They’ve given Wolverine three tries, the third no doubt the best of them and benefiting greatly by existing in near oblivion to the rest of the franchise’s convoluted canon and taking inspiration from Mark Millar’s iconic Old Man Logan comic.

10. Deadpool 2

The first Deadpool sufficiently shocked the world. An unknown property with a penchant for poop jokes is perfect for today’s world. The sequel is definitely helped by the presence of Josh Brolin’s Cable and a colorful collection of other supporting characters like Domino, Brad Pitt and Ricky Baker.

9. Spider-Man (TV series, 1994)

Growing up with this series, I remember watching it in my parents’ bedroom on weeknights, being extra careful not to ruffle mom and dad’s sheets during my 30-minute allowance. The times, as they say, have changed. Now I can watch reruns of the animated series on my refrigerator.

8. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Quite the ambitious step after First Class to not only bring back the original X-Men players, but do it alongside the new players. It sounds foolhardy on paper, but damn it they made it work. The 2014 X-Men movie stands among the rest in terms of not only entertainment, but welcome competency.

7. The Spectacular Spider-Man (TV series, 2008)

The short-lived show (just like the next) that was indeed spectacular. All the Spider-Man stuff is great, but the show really hit its stride when telling Peter Parker stories at Midtown High School. Before the scheduled third season took place, the show was canceled after Disney bought the TV rights to Spidey from Sony.

6. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (TV series, 2003)

All but forgotten among the animated superhero collection, this show was on MTV and Neil Patrick Harris voiced Spider-Man. The show lasted just a season thanks to ratings, but was a surprisingly mature take on a character that even more surprisingly appealed to me at 10 years old. Guess I was just a super mature kid.

5. The Amazing Spider-Man

Had it not been shrouded by a cloud questioning its own rebooted existence, the movie would have been far more popular. It deserves/d better.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing sequel overextends itself in trying to set up sequels and spinoffs all at once, but remains one of my all-time favorites in terms of action, score, pacing and heart.

3. Spider-Man 3

A dance number marred the memory of the third and final Sam Raimi movie, but despite Sony’s castration of the director, he turns in another winner. Unfortunately, we will never have a proper resolution to one of the most impactful superhero-or-not trilogies of all time.

2. Spider-Man

After X-Men got the ball rolling, all eyes were on Spider-Man. Raimi came from the horror genre and his Evil Dead roots with a treasure chest of Spidey intelligence. I guess you could say his pivotal comic book film is…scary good. (I’d be less proud of that if it weren’t so true.)

1. Spider-Man 2

“Sequels are never as good as the original” is one of those statements that people only say when it momentarily applies to the current discussion. It’s simply not the case. For example, Superman II, The Empire Strikes Back, Batman Returns, The Dark Knight, The Winter Soldier and then there’s The Godfather Part II.

Spider-Man 2 is my favorite super hero movie of all time and my all-time favorite movie behind just Revenge of the Sith. That’s how you get three paragraphs in an article where I kept things short and nobody else even got two.

The 2004 sequel breaks ground in so many ways for the superhero genre. Namely in storytelling, tone, action and the all-important visual effects factor. Doc Ock’s mechanical arms —which were a mix of practical and CGI effects— and the high-flying web-slinging action (like the train sequence) took everything that was possible about comic book movies and threw it off the George Washington Bridge like Gwen Stacey.

(Ok, that, I’m not proud of. But we’re at the end of the arti—)

Written by: @AsherFeltman

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

The pitch black screen. Then the yellow letters. The booming John Williams score. The text crawl. The wipes. Ben Burtt’s sound effects. Ralph McQuarrie’s stunning visuals. Dennis Muren’s monumental effects work. The Jedi. The Sith. The Force. A new world. No, a galaxy.

George Lucas injected so much creativity into his original 1977 film —simply titled Star Wars because Fox wanted to make sure one movie was a hit before ok’ing a second— that it’s almost hard to tell if he intended to change the way movies would be made for the rest of history.

Whether or not it was his intention, Hollywood has been emulating (or trying) what Lucas did with Star Wars ever since it first zoomed on screen that fateful May over 40 years ago.

Nothing will ever be like Star Wars except Star Wars. Even the new Star Wars movies, be it Lucas’ prequels or the Disney editions, are criticized for having the audacity to merely exist in the shadow of the original trilogy. Nothing will ever touch the original trilogy. I don’t mean in quality, because the original three are not my top three. It can be done.

But nobody will ever be the first to do Star Wars again.

Perhaps it’s a generational, nostalgia-fueled thing. Perhaps. But there is no other franchise like the galaxy far, far away that has become a bigger fixture in our lives. (Though currently, Marvel.)

My life is not excluded. Star Wars has been a passion of mine since being introduced to it at an age 11 birthday party premiere for Revenge of the Sith.

From there, I was all in. Outside of a comic book universe, is there anything as in-depth and inclusive as Star Wars lore? The movies. The books. The comics (Dark Horse, not the new Marvel stuff). The TV shows. The toys. The games.

And in this day and age, the commercials.

Star Wars has stood the test of time and is now in its early stages of Disney’s big chance to creatively control the property. Lucas retired from movies in 2005 and sold the company in 2012, perhaps because of the toxic reception to the prequels, or maybe because the man was just tired.

His life’s work cost him a lot, his marriage notwithstanding, but when it’s all said in done, he will be remembered as one of the most influential and important figures in entertainment history.

He is, without question, the Maker.

Because there have only been 11 Star Wars movies —including The Clone Wars— I am going to include three TV shows. If you have time, a lot of the Star Wars Lego stuff is hilarious, as well.

14. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I realize my reader audience is probably in the single-digit figures right now. That’s okay. Maybe one day I’ll make it. With that in mind, I don’t write a whole lot of passion pieces outside of the required sports texts I must fulfill in the real world.

HOWEVER. After seeing The Last Jedi, I decided to start sharing some of my movie stuff, already tabbed “CinemAce” and ready to go via some google docs storage.

So when I saw the eighth episode and third Star Wars movie from Disney, who was batting 1.000 to this point in my opinion, everything changed.

And I wrote this.

13. Star Wars Rebels (TV series, 2014-2018)

After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, they had no plans to continue the beloved Clone Wars TV series. Anything to do with the prequels no longer existed. Until it did again.

Star Wars Rebels is by no means bad, it’s just not that good. The Clone Wars, as a cartoon, walked the tightrope of relating to its many different audiences. Rebels was more in tune with its younger viewers, and it’s not even a bad thing.

I just happen to no longer be a kid. I’m here for good characters and good stories. I really like Kanan Jarrus and Satine Kryze, and would recommend the novel A New Dawn if you want to get to know them better. I wish I could recommend the show for that purpose.

Rebels seems to be constantly stuck in a trash compactor, never really pushing the narrative needle. The series pivots heavily after season two to focus on the young Ezra Bridger, who practically begs to be disliked.

Always felt like a missed opportunity, given a large chunk of the saga (episodes IV—VII) has to do with rebel…scum.

12. Solo: A Star Wars Story

After The Last Jedi, my lifelong obsession with Star Wars had been substantially satiated. But that was that movie and this was this movie. Solo was a chance for things to get back on track.

Massive behind-the-scenes drama and a director swap ballooned the movie’s budget to nearly $300 million. It was the first Star Wars since The Empire Strikes Back not to make at least $215 million domestically. (Yeah, Empire made almost $100mm less than the first Star Wars.)

What was eventually Ron Howard’s product is not a bad one. It’s just painfully generic. That’s not what you expect from a Star Wars film.

People were skeptical from day one about a Han movie without Ford, but Alden Ehrenreich is actually one of the few bright spots in a bland, risk-free movie with a laughably pointless cameo.

11. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie. 2008)

Before it went full television mode, The Clone Wars debut in movie form. It wasn’t received well, but I actually think it’s really good, even earning a spot in my top 200, which is in the works.

It kicks off the gist of the show, which would be the Republic and Separatists literally battling to secure allegiances in different galactic corners. The sinister Separatists and the noble Jedi fight to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s somehow adorable son.

It’s not perfect, and has two sorely out of place musical cues that I’ll always remember ironically. But it introduces a couple valuable new characters to the franchise’s precious canon: Anakin’s apprentice, Ahsoka Tano; and Count Dooku’s apprentice, Asajj Ventress.

10. Star Wars: Clone Wars (TV series, 2003-2005)

Back when animation didn’t exactly sparkle, you had to find an animation style to separate yourself in the burgeoning branch of film.

Star Wars, not unlike many movies, often skips over some time in-between installments. While the biggest gap in time is between Episodes I and II, the main movies do gloss over the galaxy-changing war that divided the universe and crippled the Jedi Order between Episodes II and III.

So a TV show was the next best option, and the first entry into it is definitely unique. Released in 2003 and finishing up in 2005, it picks up right after Attack of the Clones and literally feeds into Revenge of the Sith.

Episodes were short and sweet —sometimes only minutes long— and were surprisingly tailored to a more mature audience. Obviously there is no Sith nudity, but it isn’t as consistently light as the two TV series that followed.

I’m fascinated with the prequels and the prequel era (obviously many are not) and want any opportunity to learn about the Clone War. Especially since it is a pivotal moment on the Star Wars timeline, first name-dropped by Ben Kenobi himself in A New Hope.

9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series, 2008-2014)

The movie, which was panned, shows more of the kid-friendly side of Dave Filoni’s forthcoming show. For example, Ahsoka’s nicknames for her new Master and extensive droid dialogue. However, the pilot episode of the tv show is indicative of the more serious and grounded tone the show would often take.

The series only got better as it went, and if Lucasfilm isn’t sold, Cartoon Network would probably have run it for at least two-to-three more seasons. A season six was released on Netflix and plans were set to go at least as far as seven before the show was scrapped.

I was a middle school kid when it came out, in the twilight of my popular years, so I obviously preferred the less hokey episodes of the show. Like any show, as great as TCW is, it’s not immune to a whole lot of filler. Droid arc in season five anyone?

But the show delivers on a whole bunch of incredible stories that we didn’t have time for in the movies. For as much as Star Wars is synonymous with Jedi, we don’t see a lot of the Jedi in the episodic movies. But, in the show, the Jedi Council is shown in full force.

The Sith are fleshed out as well, in the many forms of Palpatine/Sidious, Dooku, General Grievous, Ventress and another certain dark sider, the boldest move of all…

…bringing back the bisected Darth Maul. (No, Solo wasn’t the first to do so.) Maul’s return was a big risk, cause you know, but the Maul episodes are, in my opinion, the best the show has to offer, whether it be him seeking revenge on Obi-Wan and/or his old master, his new brother Savage Opress, or his time on the throne of Mandalore. Mandalorians are awesome and are not just Fett exclusive.

After Rebels ran its course and The Last Jedi bombed fanatically (certainly not financially), Disney “saved” the show and it is expected to resume scheduled programming in late 2019.

8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The remainder of the list are some of my favorite movies in the history of ever. Also, they’ve all been touched upon at length in other articles.

When Disney bought Star Wars, I was optimistic because Disney hasn’t done much meddling into Marvel’s worldwide success. But Marvel had an existing creative team. Disney was taking full control of Lucasfilm, and thus could do whatever they wanted going forward with Star Wars.

Relying on the original cast in Episode VI, then nuking the fridge in VII, was an odd game plan.

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

My personal favorite of the Disney Star Wars films, it’s dark, gritty, risky and certainly unexpected. Whatever issues the production had, it’s hard to tell. The Rogue One blu-ray release shows very little of director Gareth Edwards and is the only Star Wars movie without a director’s commentary. I wouldn’t have been able to tell.

It’s the first Star Wars movie to not feature John Williams as composer, though golden boy Michael Giacchino (who also replaced Williams in the Jurassic Park/World franchise) steps in and is worthy of his predecessor’s legacy. Modern CGI also makes for the best Darth Vader scene in the archive.

6. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Another Death Star is a tough sell, but Lucas never intended to have it in the first installment. The resolution to Darth Vader’s incredible tale, coupled with a concluding hero’s journey for Luke, Leia and Han is bittersweet, the final credits indicating the end of something truly special.

5. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

I think the prequels contribution to the total Star Wars narrative is some of the greatest storytelling in the history of cinema. Lucas has a flare for just about everything, but his biggest weakness seems to be writing romance.

4. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

That’s no movie…it’s history.

3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Middle acts in a trilogy are some of the best movies. Empire, Spider-Man 2, Dark Knight, Winter Soldier. Infinity War is not in the middle but also not the end. Sometimes, you just want to see the bad guy win.

Traditionally, they don’t. Obviously. And even all of these movies listed save Infinity War actually end in mostly triumphant fashion for the heroes. But, aside from the ending optimistic shot of Luke’s new arm and the assembling Rebel fleet, Empire Strikes Back truly belongs to Darth Vader and the Empire.

2. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Jake Lloyd —and then Hayden Christensen— were fighting a losing battle from day one trying to play the part of future Darth. I happen to think both of them, particularly Lloyd and then Christensen in Episode III, ace it.

I like Lloyd and I believe in Anakin’s tragic tale starting with him. Liam Neeson’s one-off Qui-Gon Jinn is, for my credits, one of the strongest characters in all of the shows. (Nod to FX guru Dennis Muren, who called the movies “shows.”) Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan starts here and this really is his trilogy.

1. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Not just my top Star Wars movie, but my favorite movie of all time. The Battle of the Heroes, aka Duel on Mustafar, is PEAK filmmaking.

Lamelo Ball
Height: 6-7
Weight: 185
Country: United States (Chino Hills, CA)
Professional Team: Illawarra Hawks
Birth date: 8/22/2001
NBL Statistics: 12 games played: 17 points-7 assists-7.5 rebounds FG%( 37.5) 3PT% (24%) FT% (72)
Many kids who find fame at an early age find themselves going down a desolate path of destruction, suffering from an over inflated ego or lack of motivation upon tasting the dangerous nectar of fame.
The rise of outlets that cover the grassroots circuits such as Overtime & Ball Is Life have given teenagers trying to make a name for themselves the platform to awe the collective basketball world any time they step on the court. As we get closer to the completion of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle, Lamelo Ball finds himself as the prince of the Tik-Tok era of young basketball fans. The blonde tips, the sheer ridiculousness of him pulling up from half court and calling his shot from half court in a Babe Ruth-ian manner, his 5.1 million followers on IG (more than Zion), combined with the boisterous exploits of his father, are all reasons why he’s hard to take your eyes off. But is Lavar’s youngest son a product of the social media mixtape era in the way that Aquille Carr and Marcus Lovett were before him? Or is he a future NBA All-Star?
I. Offense

Melo with a live dribble is a sorcerer capable of whipping accurate hook passes to punish weak side defenders that sag off shooters spotted up in the corners, rise up from NBA range three pointers at any moment or slithering his way to the basket. His anticipation level as a teenager is among his best characteristics as a floor general. He’s ambidextrous and can make passes with either hand, playing with pace is second nature for him as he finds teammates in transition with relative ease. Has a keen understanding of the geometry of passing angles on the basketball court and uses his advanced ability to manipulate defenders eye level with his dribble for a split second before he fits the ball into tight windows, a-la Patrick Mahomes.
Mixes in a flurry of hesitation dribbles in one sequence, which allows him to keep defenders off balance and create separation to get his shot off. He's not an elite athlete by NBA standards, but flashes excellent body control that allows him to contort his body in the paint and avoid rim protectors. Generally contact averse in the paint which could easily lead to efficiency issues if these struggles continue.
Lavar’s youngest son is soon to be a member of what I like to call the 'Spoon Feeders Association,' which is a club reserved for only the best passers in the league.  The big men around him aren’t always able to anticipate Ball's feeds, which can frustratingly lead to would-be dimes turning into fumbled turnovers.
Josh Boone, former 2006 1st round pick of the Nets, played alongside LaMelo on the Illawarra Hawks; one of my observations were a couple live ball turnovers where a former NBA player (who played with Hall of Famer Jason Kidd), was left marveling at a teenagers' passing capacity. Simply put, he possesses several of the characteristics teams are looking for in a modern dynamic lead ball handler who can put pressure on the defense with his play making and scoring ability.
Ball is supremely confident in his own shot making ability, which is evident in his audacious shooting trigger; always thinks the next attempt is going in. When we hyper analyze the psyche of the greatest scorers on the planet this happens to be both a positive and a negative: lack of confidence is a death sentence, but a young guard needs to be more discerning between with his shot selection.
Inconsistent and funky shot mechanics run in the family. 'Melo has a drift on his jump shot which raises the concern about whether he can get his shot off against NBA defenders in tight spaces. Over his twelve game sample in Australia, LaMelo shot a ghastly 24% on 80 attempts from long range, which obviously isn’t going to cut it. According to the Synergy database, his spot up catch and shoot indicators rated inside the 76th percentile.  As is the case with most prospects, the shooting stroke will be the major litmus test to where he evidently settles in as a prospect. If he can knock down pull up three pointers, we have the makings of a rare scoring and facilitating guard.
II. Differences Between Lonzo & LaMelo Ball

For all the acclaim and publicity that has surrounded the Ball brothers, both Lonzo and LaMelo each possess a high level basketball IQ in between the dotted line that is rare for teenage NBA prospects. The bombastic and ostentatious gene of hi-jinks from Lavar Ball that most observers would associate with a selfish and “Me First” brand of basketball looks to have skipped his offspring. One of the main differences between the two brothers is that LaMelo has already shown a much more complete skill set as a scorer.
Lonzo is currently enjoying a much improved shooting season during his first season with the Pelicans as he sits in the 53rd percentile on cumulative three point attempts according to Cleaning The Glass. However, going back to his UCLA days, his mid range acumen has always been a non-existent portion of his game (17th percentile currently on all mid range attempts).
Lamelo has already flashed a capacity to knock down floaters. Modern proponents of analytics will fight to death about the sub-optimal points per possession mathematics behind mid-range attempts, but the floaters are a critical tool for a finesse guard as a counter action when trying to finish in traffic. His budding touch on these shots is among the best precursors to be optimistic that the 24% from three point range can be improved upon.
III. Defense

The addition of mass to his 6”7 and growing frame will be an interesting subplot to follow within the developmental process of Lamelo Ball. Ignoring the fact for a moment that he usually seems completely disinterested in even getting low in a defensive stance and or exerting energy at all on that side of the ball. Core strength is probably the most under analyzed component when brainstorming how swift the transition to the NBA will be. Fighting and maneuvering through screens is one of the areas where young guards can get picked apart on a possession to possession basis. From day one in the league he’ll have a target on his back from coaches and ball handlers that will attack him at every chance possible in pick and roll scenarios.
Lamelo isn’t completely hopeless on the defensive end, but it’s going to take a complete mental adjustment to see him consistently lock in and raise his motor on defense. Can be disruptive in passing lanes when engaged and theoretically has the length to guard bigger guards as he adds more weight; also projects as someone who’ll be able to rebound his position well due to his uncanny nose for the ball.
IIII. Conclusion
LaMelo Ball doesn't turn 19 until August of 2020, yet he's had quite the basketball journey for a young kid. His path to the NBA is a literal one of one circumstance. From winning a state championship at Chino Hills as a 14 year old next to his two brothers.  Becoming the youngest American professional basketball player ever when he took his talents to Lithuania, his time back in the states playing in the JBL & at Spire Academy all before his stint in Australia.
Due to his proximity to his father and playing style Melo is one of the most polarizing prospects entering the league. From a dynasty perspective if you invest an early first round pick in him you must be prepared to endure some rough growing pains as he transitions and gets comfortable the NBA.
This is still a blank canvas of talent that can be cultivated into a special player as a professional if surrounded by the right players and structure within a organization. By no means is he a finished product and still has a long way to go to put into motion all of the natural gifts that he possesses on the basketball court.
Let the record show, I'm a long term fan of his upside and believe in his skills and struggle to find a scenario where he isn't a serviceable NBA player. The 6"7 frame and promising shot making profile with his savant level passing ability is a conjuring mixture that will make it difficult for NBA decision makers to pass up on a kid that has incrementally improved his game at every level while still being young enough to be a senior in high school.