DOWNLOAD: MAT-B – She Gon Live (Single)

TLC announced on April 25th, the ten-year anniversary of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopez’s death, that they are putting together a reunion tour…complete with all three members. Just a week ago, Dr. Dre provided us with a mind-blowing, life-like hologram of Tupac at Coachella and the surviving members of TLC plan on giving Left-Eye similar treatment. According to TMZ, the group plans on having a big screen projection of Left-Eye during the tour; working all her vocals into their performances. So far the group has five dates booked and plan on adding more, however no concrete dates are known as of now. I personally don’t like making money off the dead, but I guess if it makes the fans happy.

Long-time Kanye West collaborator and Grammy-award winning artist Q-Tip has officially signed with Ye’s label. Recently, YMCMB has made a splash (if you want to call it that) with signings of…seasoned…artists and it looks like G.O.O.D. Music looks to add on to their roster as well. Q-Tip’s fourth solo album The Last Zulu will be put out under the label sometime this year. Also with the signing, it might be suggested that we will get a few verses or some production from Tip on the G.O.O.D. Music group album, but that’s only speculation.

The Weeknd has announced a tour that will span a few cities in America. After finishing up their performances at Coachella, Abel and his live band will take on a few major cities on both ends of the US. Check below for the tour dates and locations.

The Weeknd Tour Dates:

04-25 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
04-26 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
04-27 Boston, MA – Royale
04-28 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
04-29 Philadelphia, PA – TLA
05-03 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
05-06 Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre
05-08 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
05-10 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
05-11 Seattle, WA – Showbox at the Market
05-12 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballrom
06-02 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival
06-09 Porto, Portugal – Optimus Primavera Sound
08-03 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

DOWNLOAD: Boogie Dash – Boogie’s Night (Mixtape)

Props: HHNM

1. Thomas Robinson- In my opinion Robinson deserves to be the National Player of the Year. Kansas lost both Morris twins and had two of their top recruits ruled ineligible, yet Robinson along with a masterful coaching job by Bill Self, lead the Jayhawks to their 8th straight Big 12 Championship and another Final Four appearance. Robinson is one of the most explosive players you will find at the college level and grabs rebounds at  ridiculous rate. While our next player had an incredible season as well, Thomas Robinson has defined what it means to be a most valuable player.

2. Anthony Davis- Anthony Davis has had one of the best freshman seasons of all time. He is developing as an offensive player, but he is already an elite defender, a skill that will easily transfer over to the NBA. Averaging over 4 blocks a game, he impacts every possession due to his incredible length. His ability to run the floor complements the fast pace that his Kentucky team likes to use. Davis will likely be favored to win the National Player of the Year, but he is surrounded by a lot more talent than Robinson. That is no knock on Davis, as he leads the team that is currently favored to win it all.

3. Jared Sullinger- When Jared Sullinger announced his return to Ohio State last year, he stated his desire to win a National Championship. Well, now all that stands between him and that goal, are the 2 most important games in his entire life. While his stats did not improve much from his freshman year he remained one of the most effective post presences in college basketball. He did not lose any of the polish on his low post game, while also developing a respectable 3-point shot. The key for Sully is staying out of foul trouble; Ohio State is not the deepest team and despite the big performance of Amir Williams against Syracuse, Jared will need to be on the court for the Buckeyes to win the Championship.

4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- Here we have one of the hardest working players in the NCAA. He is not the best shooter, or most polished offensive player, but he makes up for it by playing and working harder than his opponents. Using his long arms and explosive leaping ability, Kidd-Gilchrist is able to disrupt a team’s rhythm or make a play when the Kentucky offense becomes stagnant. Coming from New Jersey powerhouse St. Patrick’s High School, Kidd-Gilchrist knows what its like to play in big games. I expect him to make a big impact in every game he plays in, whether it shows up in the box score or not.

5. Deshaun Thomas- There are a lot of players that could be considered for this last spot, but  Thomas has stepped his game up big in the NCAA tournament and is arguably the most dangerous offensive player still playing. He’s averaging 22 points a game this tournament and has been a perfect complement to Jared Sullinger. Although he can be lackadaisical on defense, he has the size and ability to make plays. He can take the ball to the hole, but his biggest strength is his quick trigger; His shot gets out of his hand extremely quickly. If Ohio State wins the National Championship Deshaun Thomas will likely be the key.

Honorable Mentions: Gorgui Deng, Terrence Jones, Darius Miller, Tyshawn Taylor

Uninterested. Choker. Overrated.

These have all been words to describe Harrison Barnes in the wake of a second straight season in which the North Carolina Tar Heels have been ousted in the Elite 8.

Too harsh? I’ll let you decide for yourself.

In Chapel Hill North Carolina, anything short of competing for a National Championship every year is considered to be a disappointment. After what many would call a season of overachievement last season in which the Tarheels were ousted by Kentucky in the Elite 8, expectations were high for the new season.

They had found a point guard in Kendall Marshall, have a budding superstar in Harrison Barnes (more on that later), and have a nucleus of front-court depth in Tyler Zeller, John Henson and James McAdoo. This seemed like a year in which the Tar Heels would be cutting down the nets in April.

After a somewhat rocky season, North Carolina seemed to be clicking just in time for the NCAA tournament. They had rallied through injuries of Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, and John Henson, and looked destined to make a deep tournament run.

That was all before Kendall Marshall went down with a wrist injury in the midst of a 87-73 win over Creighton in the round of 32. An injury that would cost him to miss North Carolina’s next two games, and likely more.

This isn’t about Kendall Marshall though, this is about Harrison Barnes. Barnes, the number one high school recruit in the country who was supposed to take Carolina to the promised land. Barnes, the same player who was named a pre-season all american before he even played a game his Freshman year. That Barnes.

The same Barnes who managed to shoot a combined 8-30 in the two biggest games of his collegiate career. Yes folks, that Barnes.

On Friday, against Ohio, the Tar Heels escaped in an overtime victory to advance to the Elite 8. It was a game in which they looked out of rhythm for much of the second half, and they were clearly missing their star point guard Kendall Marshall. Barnes shot 3-16, had 5 turnovers and looked non-existant at times. After the Tar Heels escaped thanks largely to the heroics of Reggie Bullock and Tyler Zeller, all eyes were on the 6’8 Sophomore from Ames, Iowa.

He can’t come up this small again, can he? Not in the NCAA tournament right? With a trip to the final four on the line? Oh, how fooled we all were.

Playing without Marshall for the second straight game, the Tar Heels trailed Kansas 68-66 with 3:58 left to go, Barnes at the line. This was it. It was his time to shine. After splitting a pair of free throws, the lead was down to one. Little did anybody know, but those would be the last points that North Carolina would score for the rest of the game. After a Reggie Bullock turnover led to an Elijah Johnson three pointer, the lead was three. Next, Barnes couldn’t convert a lay-up after a beautiful move to the basket.

It was over. Carolina was toast. 40 seconds later, Tyshawn Taylor converted on an and one and the Jayhawks had it won.

It was all there for Harrison Barnes, and he knows it too. He took his loss hard, and sat with a towel over his head for twenty minutes in the locker room. Trailing by one with four minutes to go in the Elite 8, it’s time to step up and quite simply, he didn’t.

You can blame the loss on Kendall Marshall’s injury, and let’s face it, if Marshall played there’s a good chance Carolina would have won that game. Even without Marshall though, this was a game they were right in until the very end. This was Barnes’ chance to prove he is that good.

Whether or not Barnes decides to return for his Junior season, it will be a long off-season for him. It’s clear that he could really benefit from another year in Chapel Hill, and if NBA scouts were watching, they might suggest he return as well.

DOWNLOAD: Mac Miller – Macadelic (Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD: J. Cole – Drank In My Cup (Freestyle)

This morning I awoke to devastating news; my childhood hero Chipper Jones announced that this would be his final season in the Major Leagues. It is getting to the point where my generation’s most iconic players are reaching the late stages of their careers, slowly drifting into the front offices of the teams they became famous on. Chipper is one of the few remaining star players from the Steroid Era whose reputation has been left unscarred, with an over .300 career batting average, a 1999 NL MVP award, one of the sweetest switch hitting strokes of all-time, and no steroid allegations.

There are a few other players from my childhood who defined a generation and are likely to follow Chipper’s lead into retirement within the next few years and there’s a generation of superstars waiting in the wings to take their place.

Derek Jeter: Jeter has had a highlight reel filled career, from his backhand flip to get Jeremy Giambi at the plate to falling over the tarp to make a catch, but he will always be remembered more for his winning attitude and leadership than anything he did on the field. An anchor for the New York Yankees, he developed into the captain of one of the strongest dynasties in MLB history. As a fresh faced kid from Michigan with sky-high expectations, he figured out how to handle the New York media perhaps better than any athlete in history.

Torii Hunter: Speaking of players who play the game with the same passion and happiness that they did as children, Torii Hunter is one of the most likable players in baseball. As the Center Fielder for the Minnesota Twins, Hunter gained a nationwide fan base with his reckless abandon running into walls and ninja-like deftness in climbing them. Hunter is not just a Gold Glover, he has hit over 20 Home Runs, 10 times. Perhaps most indicative of his love for the game, Hunter robbed Barry Bonds of a Home Run in the All-Star Game and was all smiles as Bonds playfully attacked him and carried him on his shoulder.

Todd Helton: While he has been more of a bit player for the Rockies lately, deferring responsibility to both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, Helton was one of the most feared and respected hitters in baseball for years. As precise as a baseball player could be built, Helton made a living roping extra base hits, year in year out. He gets lost in the fray with the Steroid Superstars, but he built a Hall of Fame career while toiling in relative obscurity playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Mariano Rivera: I felt it only appropriate to end this article with the greatest Closer of all time. Rivera has a stronger stranglehold on being his position’s GOAT than anybody in baseball. Who knew you could become the greatest ever by throwing one pitch over and over? When Enter Sandman blasts on the PA system you know bats are going to break and the game is all but over. What makes Mo the greatest though is his postseason dominance. Besides one minor hiccup against Luis Gonzalez, Mariano has been a cold-blooded killer in the playoffs. His postseason ERA is .7. Read that again, now with the information that he has appeared in the playoffs more than any other pitcher, ever.

Waka Flocka has announced that June 12th will be the release date for his sophomore album Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family. With singles including the remix to ”Round of Applause” featuring Drake and “I Don’t Really Care” with Trey Songz, as well as a possible feature from Tyler, the Creator, this album is shaping up to be worth a listen.

Good news Drizzy fans, Drake has announced a Spring edition of the Club Paradise Tour; this time attending a few cities that were left out of the original tour. Last fall, Drake kicked off his Club Paradise Tour with A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar in support of his Take Care album. This time around, the tour features the likes of 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Waka Flocka, J. Cole, and French Montana. Tickets go on sale on Live Nation tomorrow (March 23rd) at 10:00 am so make sure you get up to get yours. Hit the jump for a list of cities and dates for the Club Paradise Tour.

Drake’s Club Paradise Tour Dates (Second Leg):

May 7 – Concord, CA – Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord ***
May 8 – Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion
May 11 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 13 – Denver, CO – Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
May 14 – Albuquerque, NM – Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion
May 16 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
May 17 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
May 19 – Charlotte, NC – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
May 20 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
May 22 – Raleigh, NC – Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
May 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
May 25 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
May 26 – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
May 28 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
May 30 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 1- Indianapolis, IN – Klipsch Music Center
June 2 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
June 5 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
June 6 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
June 8 – Darien Lake, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
June 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Susquehanna Bank Center
June 11 – Hartford, CT – Comcast Theatre
June 12 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
June 14 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 16 – New York, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
June 17 – Boston, MA – Comcast Center

*** : J. Cole will NOT be attending

DOWNLOAD: Scoop – Just A Thought (Mixtape)