It’s no secret that the Xbox is sorely lacking in the RPG genre and for the few years of the Xbox 360’s life cycle, it seemed like that trend was going to continue. However, in recent months, there has been an attempt to bolster Microsoft’s sore spot with some quality RPG’s, that have met success, even in Japan. One of the most anticipated was Eternal Sonata (Bandai Namco ) and its draw was the music of legendary composer Chopin and a real-time battle system that would shake up the turn-based battles of most Japanese RPG’s. Was the title worth the hype it received? Was it a flagship RPG that could be a sign for things to come?  360 owners can rejoice, as it is all that and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

       

The battle system definitely lived up to the hype. Taking its cue from critically acclaimed Lunar, Grandia, and Tales series, Sonata takes the best from them and creates a free roam turn based system that forces strategy and skill with quick thinking, especially as the game wears on.  This RPG actually forces you to improve precision and technique by not just increasing the difficulty of the monsters, but also shortening the time for planning and giving you more options at the same time. It leads to creating a twist for those who are used to just simply pressing the same combination of buttons.

 

           

 

Ambiance makes the difference between good RPG’s and great RPG’s, and there aren’t many RPG’s that have as much as Sonata. Between Chopin’s music pumped through your speakers and the beautifully constructed graphics that fit the games theme well, you will have a comfortable time exploring the huge game world. Chopin’s music always seems to match the mood perfectly and oddly never gets old, but classical music is called that for a reason.  The graphics are not as sharp as Lost Planet or Gears of War, but anyone would be hard pressed to say that are not as beautiful. The light and bright colors fit the atmosphere perfectly.

 

           

 

If there is a flaw in this game, is it’s the cliché back story. Yes, there are twists, but they feel so predictable that if you play enough RPG’s you will see some elements before they happen. Not that it isn’t entertaining, because it will keep your attention, but it leaves you feeling that they could have worked a bit more on the factor of story telling.

 

           

 

Even after counting that minor flaw, this game is something that any RPG aficionado should have in their collection. Between the great pacing, interesting characters, beautiful graphics, and some bonuses such as a history lesson on the real Fredric Chopin, this game’s sonata between you and the disc may not last forever, but sure will capture your attention as long as you let it.

 

 

 

Let’s admit it. We love buying those cute little Sean John jackets, Baby Phat dresses and newborn-size Air Jordan shoes for our children, nieces, nephews and for other people’s kids for just about any baby shower we attend. While those looks are fashionable and oh so adorable for the little ones, it’s not always practical for the average parent to buy children’s designer clothing for every day wear. Of course you can still find quality clothing at good prices, but our Hip Hop generation does love its trendy gear.

 

Even if a parent can find good deals on designer clothing, necessities like diapers and bottles seem to keep going up in price. Enter brainchild Steve Marcano, who found a serious niche in the market back in 2004. He evaluated the situation and created My Lil Star, beginning his mission with a line of extremely affordable diapers. Since its inception, the company has been growing by leaps and bounds. Now in retail stores across the country, My Lil Star is branching out into apparel, and is endorsed by dozens of major celebrities. We recently spoke with Steve Marcano about his motivation behind creating the line and his plans for the future.

 

AllHipHop.com: Tell us a little bit about why you created this line to begin with.

 

Steve Marcano: Basically the clothing line is coming because of the success we started to achieve with the diaper line [of the same name]. It all started out with the baby products, I wanted to do a baby product company. It’s never been full nine of a minority baby product company ever in America. There’s never been a Black-owned baby company so I figure that was a pretty cool niche because we spend about $2.8 billion a year on diapers as minorities. A lot of people do [baby] clothes, no one’s ever done a company.

 

What I looked at was the success of all of the young entertainers coming out of the Nickelodeon and Disney realm, people look at current artists who sell an incredible amount of records, all the way across the board from a Kanye West or 50 Cent or Jay-Z, all the way to an Aerosmith. They look at all these groups and say “Wow, it’s incredible that these guys sell five, six or seven million records” or whatever their record sales are. Then I look at artists like Raven-Symone and the two girls from the group 3LW, they made up a group called The Cheetah Girls selling  millions of records and they’re on tour for $125,000 a night just on that Disney and Nickelodeon base. Then you have Corbin Bleu and Hilary Duff and JoJo, and I looked at currently Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and they all came from The Mickey Mouse Club.

 

The Olsen twins will become billionaires and Raven-Symone is up in there in the hundreds and millions of dollars, more money than she would have ever made being a conventional actress. So I said “This is something that’s becoming a major trend”. No one’s ever said, “Let me start a full fledged kids company and become the Black Disney.” I needed a foundation, and the foundation was diapers because I knew that was a great market that would never die. I started with the My Lil Star diaper line and at that point my internet business alone was [bringing in] $40,000 to $50,000 a month.

 

I started giving back and doing things of that nature. Now I’m saying I got a retail aspect that’s going into the area of 11,000 stores in 2008, which is a pretty good launch even though there’s more than 300,000 points of destination to buy diapers. For a new company that’s a few years old, 11,000 stores, and we’re already doing $40,000 to $50,000 a month, the next step was clothes. I got a friend of mine to get me some artists, Jay from FUBU got some artists together for me and got some sketches. The sketches came out better than I thought they would, [we put it out] to see if people would accept it, and came out with like half a million dollars in orders.

 

AllHipHop.com: Part of the premise was to make something that was affordable, correct?

 

Steve Marcano: Extremely affordable, everything of ours is affordable. I remember when I had my first son I couldn’t afford diapers. Diapers are expensive – they’re like $16.99 to $22.99. So we made these convenient, and the quality – I don’t care who tests. They can stand me against [other brands] any day of the week, and I’ll be equal or better on any given day.

 

From growing up in the inner city I understand how the money is, and I understand that between 17 and 25 the average young lady has three children with just a high school education and the average young male has four. I understand that if you have four children, you have at least two in diapers. It’s hard to knock on your neighbor’s door and say, “I need 20 dollars”, but it’s real simple to say, “I need 5 dollars”. So I put together convenience packs that sell anywhere from 14 to 20 diapers per shot and they retail for $4.79. It’s great quality, and it’s cool and celebrity endorsed.

 

I constantly get the diapers tested to make sure that the quality stays where they should be and that’s what I did with the same premise on the kid’s clothing line. You can get a whole outfit with me, for a young lady you can get a jacket, a pair of pants, a skirt and be able to change outfits, a two day outfit for $19.99.

 

AllHipHop.com: Yes, it seems like a lot of celebrities have gotten behind the brand. Who have you worked with so far?

 

Steve Marcano: We got a lot of celebrity endorsements from Don King to Zab Judah to Tichina Arnold, Salli Richardson [and] Dondre Whitfield.

 

AllHipHop.com: Going into actual retail stores, have you found that your online business is more successful, or are you seeing a balance with that?

 

Steve Marcano: I think the online business is not going to be as successful as retail, but we just did a joint venture with a company called EBE Media that increased our online presence. I don’t think there’s no way in the world that we can basically compete [online] once we get into retail. You’re looking at 11,000 stores, even if you’re just doing a dollar a day per store that’s $11,000 per day which is $300,000 a month.

 

AllHipHop.com: Have you found that people were more supportive of your brand since you are making sure that people could afford it?

 

Steve Marcano: I think that I had to do a grassroots marketing campaign which I’m doing now. Without the AllHipHop.com’s of the world and The Daily News and trade magazines, we could have the best product in the world and wouldn’t do well. I think the media is accepting us, and now that our financial status is enough where I could run commercials, now that we’re getting accepted and doing cross campaigns for HBO, we’re planning to do a big MTV and BET run. Once I get the word out [for] my demographic and what I want to hit I think we’ll be the biggest brand as far as diapers go.

 

As far as affordability goes, I think there are going to be brands out there in the children’s world that will always beat us because they’re branded better, but I think we will become one of the most recognizable, affordable, best brands in the world at this point. I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but I think that in 24 months everybody will have at least one piece [of My Lil Star clothing]. I’m not gonna say that they’re gonna stop using the things that they love. There’s a lot of great lines out here, you got your Sean Johns and your G-Units and your Baby Phats – a lot of great people that make great stuff for kids. I think that a lot of people want their kids to have the best, those brands set a great niche.

 

I think like Starbury – once I’m able to show everybody through the media outlets that this is real cool and celebrities have been putting this on their kids, at that point we’ll have a great chance of winning in the marketplace.

 

AllHipHop.com: You’re in Target and Walgreens now. Any plans for more retail outlets?

 

Steve Marcano: Well, I dont really want to get into the mentions of the outlets we’re going to be in. I plan to hit every major outlet within the next eight to ten months. I think we’re going to be everywhere, in a lot more outlets than Targets and Walgreens. We’re currently working with a great distribution company and a great media company, I’m just lucky and blessed to have great PR. I think once the media supports us, I think everybody is going to support us. We’ve got a great product at a great price. That’s the most important thing that I can do for what I want to do, and I respect what everybody else does.

 

I really have an interest right now in the kids market, and this is what I want to make my career and entire life. I want to do educational DVDs. I think it’s something that’s really important for me right now, and I know it’s something I want to do. You’ll see a lot more – My Lil’ World, the educational DVDs, with a company we’re working with out in L.A. right now to show kids colors and numbers that’s real affordable. I want to be able to have people on limited incomes being able to afford what we do, and clothe, diaper, and educate their kids. I want to be the company that does that.

Now, I have a few questions before we start talking about the games.  What is with all of these ugly retro uniforms this year?  My God, some of them are horrendous. Let’s take a look for a moment.  Here are some of the teams we’ve seen so far this season.  The Eagles, The Jets, The Redskins, The Steelers, The 49ers, and The Bills.   Now, some of the uniforms are nice, some are okay, but then there’s a few that look like the uniforms were made by Rainbow Brite or they belong to a state penitentiary.  Either way there should be a league rule that states that any team that has an ugly retro uniform should not be allowed to play.  You want to keep your fans watching the game, not have them changing the channel because they might go blind or get sick from looking at all of those ugly jerseys. 

 

Also, what’s with all of the originals squaring off against the others?  We had the original Adrian Peterson on the Bears against the other Adrian Peterson on the Vikes.  And then there was the original #81, Terrell Owens, against the other #81, Randy Moss in the “Battle of the Undefeated”.  Well with the outcome from last Sunday’s games, it looks like Bizarro finally beats Superman and the others had a better day than the originals.

 

1pm games:

 

Baltimore Ravens (4-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (1-4)

Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY

 

Ravens’ RB Willis McGehee will face off against his old team this weekend.  That shouldn’t be a problem.  The Bills are ranked 25th in the league against the run.  The

The Bills are coming off their bye week.  A much-needed bye week for a team that’s been plagued by injury for the majority of the season.  Bills QB Trent Edwards will start this Sunday instead of J.P. Losman.  Look for the Bills to try to go to the air against the Ravens.  The Ravens have the 3rd best rushing defense in the league and the 11th best pass defense.  They’re better off passing than running.  Also, the Bills need to pressure the QB and try to throw him off of his game.  

 

With Steve McNair out of this Sunday’s game with a bad back, Kyle Boller will get the start.  Boller didn’t have the greatest stats last week in the Ravens win against the Rams.  He was 18 for 30 for 184 yards and 1 interception.  Those numbers should be higher against weaker teams like the Rams. Ironically, Boller and McNair are tied in both the touchdown and interception category for the Ravens. Both players have 2 TDs and 2 INTs for the season.  So on paper, it really doesn’t matter which QB is in the game.  A sub-par Boller is just as good as a broke-down McNair.  The Ravens defense will throw everything plus the kitchen sink at the Bills O-line.  Don’t look for the Bills to “circle the wagons” this weekend.

 

My Pick: Bills

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) vs. Detroit Lions (3-2)

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI

 

With a little help from the Madden Curse, the Bucs beat the Titans last Sunday.  The Lions had a bye last week, so they didn’t beat anyone.  Actually, the Lions are probably still trying to figure out how in the hell they let the ‘Skins squash them like they did in their Week 5 match-up.     

 

The Bucs are the better team in this match-up.  They have the better QB and the better O-line.  Jeff Garcia is light on his feet and he can move around in the pocket.  Hell, if you were married to his wife, you would be light on you feet and have movement in your pocket too. He’ll be able to make plays with his feet and get receivers open while he’s scrambling.  Garcia is the key for the Bucs to win this game.

 

Since the Bucs are now down to RB by committee, the Bucs gave up two draft picks, undisclosed 2008 and 2009 picks, to the Chiefs for RB Michael Bennett.  It still won’t help the run game.  The Lions are ranked 17th in the league against the rush and lately, running the ball is not one of the main factors that have contributed to the 19th in rushing ranked Bucs winning ways.

 

It’s going to be hard for the Lions to throw the ball against the Bucs’ secondary. The Lions are reporting that RB Kevin Jones is healthy and will play this Sunday.  Hopefully the Lions will be able to run the ball against a decent Bucs’ defense.  That “10 win” promise that Lions’ QB, Jon Kitna, made earlier in the season is starting to be in jeopardy.

 

My Pick: Buccaneers

    

New England Patriots (6-0) vs. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

Location: Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL

 

It’s bad enough starting QB, Trent Green, is contemplating his future after suffering a Grade III concussion in the Phins’ Week 5 loss against the Texans. Now the Phins trade their best WR, Chris Chambers, to the Chargers for a 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft. We understand that your season is pretty much done, but you don’t have to make it that obvious.  And the Phins are facing the Pats this weekend. The Phins lose.

 

Ronnie Brown is the only consistent piece for the Phins.  Brown had 19 carries for 101 yards and 1 touchdown in last Sunday’s loss against the Browns.  For the season, Brown has 102 carries for 526 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. He also has 5 catches for 356 yards and 1 touchdown receiving for the season.  He’s the key piece for the Phins offense.

 

What bad can you say about the Pats this year? The 3rd quarter of last Sunday’s game was the first time the Pats were actually behind in a game after the 1st half this season.  And that lasted all of 5 minutes.  The Phins are out-coached and out-manned in this game

 

This is the type of game when a team with the lowest chance of winning could and has pulled out the win.  Do I expect the Pats to win, yes I do.  Would I be surprised if the Phins won, no I wouldn’t.  It all comes down to what type of mental preparation the Phins have in Sunday’s game.  If they come into the game with the attitude to play to win, they have a chance.  If they have the attitude to play trying not to lose, this game is over by the 1st quarter.

 

My Pick: Patriots

 

Atlanta Falcons (1-5) vs. New Orleans Saints (1-4)

Location: Superdome, New Orleans, LA

 

Left is right for the Falcons.  The Falcons have had enough of Joey Harrington’s tomfoolery and has decided to go with Byron Leftwich in Sunday’s game.  Leftwich is an improvement at the QB position for the Falcons, but not a big improvement.  He’s a statue in the pocket.  He doesn’t move at all.  But he does have a rocket of an arm and if any of those Falcon WRs can get open for a big play, he’ll find them.  He really has no choice but to throw the ball; the Falcons are ranked 21st in the league in rushing. 

 

The Saints were alive last Sunday with their win against the Seahawks.  Reggie Bush ran the ball well and Drew Brees threw the ball well also.  Brees finished the night with 246 yards on 25 of 26 passes and he had 2 TDs.  Bush had 19 carries for 97 yards.  Although he didn’t score a touchdown, he still had a good performance.  If the Saints want to win, they’re going to have the do the same things they did against the Seahawks in this Sunday’s game.  Run the ball and make big plays on defense against a weak Falcons O-line.       

  

My Pick: Saints

 

San Francisco 49ers (2-3) vs. NY Giants (4-2)

Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

 

For another week, I have to go against my Niners.  The Niners lost a close game to the Ravens before they had their bye week.  Hopefully they used that bye wisely and figured out how they can get Frank Gore involved in the offense more.  Gore has 84 carries for 306 yards and 3 TDs and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 2.  The Niners need to protect Trent Dilfer this Sunday and buy him some time in the pocket so he can make some plays.  That’s going to be hard for the Niners’ O-line to do because the Giants’ defense is playing well.

 

The Giants have done a complete 180°.  After starting the season 0-2, the Giants have won 4 straight games and are 1 game behind the Cowboys.  Credit that to the Giants’ defense.  The Giant’s defense is ranked 9th in the league.  They attack the ball well and will find ways to get in the backfield.  Offensively, the Giants are still a little off.  The WRs still won’t make the simple catches, but they will make the big catches. Apparently it works.  Here’s a little fact, Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss are tied for the most receiving TDs (8) for the season.  Look for the G-men to put a stomping on my Niners.

 

My Pick: Giants

 

Arizona Cardinals (3-3) vs. Washington Redskins (3-2)

Location: FedEx Field, Landover, MD

 

With Matt Leinart out for the year, the Cards signed 8-yer veteran Tim Rattay last week and named Kurt Warner the starter.  Then Warner dislocates his non-throwing elbow in last Sunday’s game against Carolina and the Cards signed Tim Hasselbeck.  Now, if Warner is not ready to play, Rattay will get the start. The Cards will have to put Edggerin James to work on Sunday and run the hell out of him.  They have to wear out the ‘Skins defense if they’re going to win on Sunday.

 

On that note, I’m taking the ‘Skins.  The ‘Skins have a better QB; better O-line, and better defense.  They just missed beating the Packers due to a fumble.  The ‘Skins have to have minimal mistakes this Sunday if the want to win. 

 

My Pick: Redskins    

     

Tennessee Titans (3-2) vs. Houston Texans (3-3)

Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

 

Most sport fans are superstitious.  Most athletes are superstitious.  Superstition is part of  culture.  When you spill salt on the table, you throw some over you left shoulder.  When you see a black cat, you change your direction so it doesn’t cross your path.  And when Sports Illustrated or if EA Sports calls and ask you to be on the cover, you tell them that you’re dead.

 

Vince Young looks to be a game time decesion.  If he doesn’t play, then 13-year veteran, Kerry Collins will get the start.  If Collins starts, then the Titans will have to run the ball with LenDale White and Chris Brown.  The Titans are ranked 6th in the league rushing while the Texans are ranked 19th in the league defending the rush. 

 

The Titans are ranked 1st in rush defense and the Texans do not have the RBs to wear down the Titans’ defense.  Unfortunately, the only thing the Texans can do is run the ball because their passing game is missing WR Andre Johnson.  It looks like the clock just struck midnight for the Texans.

 

My Pick: Titans

 

4pm games:

 

NY Jets (1-5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4)

Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

 

This is not the same Bengals team of years past.  RB Rudi Johnson is still limited due to his injury, so the Bengals have to rely on their passing game.  Carson Palmer was 26 for 43 with 320 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs in last Sunday’s game. Not bad, but not great either.  Palmer threw both of his touchdown passes to T.J. Houshmandzadeh.   Houshmandzadeh leads the team in touchdown receptions with 7 TDs for the season.  If the Bengals defense can wake up and put pressure on Jets offense, they have this game won.

 

The Jets are just as much a mess as the Bengals. Both of these teams were in the playoffs last season and are now in a position to miss the playoffs this season.  The Jets did realize one thing last week, let RB Thomas Jones loose.  Jones ran for 130 yards on 24 carries. The Jets secondary also has to play like this is their last game.  The Bengals are 2nd in the league in passing averaging 248.8 passing yards on the season.  The story from this game is the poor play of Chad Pennington for the season.  Chad finished the last Sunday’s game 11 for 21 with 128 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception.  IMO, Chad’s job is on the line in this game.  He really has to step it up.

 

Personally, I don’t believe in a team making changes in the middle of the season.  You dance with whoever got you to the prom and Chad has been the QB for the Jets since forever.  But sometimes that person who got you to the prom turns out to be terrible and you have to ditch them.  Well it’s time to ditch Chad and bring in Kellen Clemens.  If the “Man-genius” doesn’t make that move soon, then he may have to sit in the corner of the classroom with a “dunce” cap.

 

My Pick: Bengals

 

Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) vs. Oakland Raiders (2-3)

Location: McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, CA

 

The Chiefs had a big week last Sunday.  RB Larry Johnson ran for 100+ yards in his 2nd game in a row.  TE Tony Gonzalez broke Shannon Sharpe’s record for Most Career TDs by a TE.  And the Chiefs won their 2nd game in a row to reach .500 this season.

 

If they want to win this Sunday, they need to do the same thing.  Keep running LJ and Damon Huard needs to hit Gonzalez as much as possible on offense. On defense, put a ton of pressure on Daunte Culpepper and throw off that game plan. The Chiefs also have to stop the Raiders run game.  The Raiders are ranked 3rd in rushing in the league.

 

The Raiders needs to let their LBs pressure the Chiefs.  Have them everywhere you could possibly put them on the field defensively.  The Chiefs are ranked 17th in passing and 30th in running the ball.  The Raiders LBs are too much of a match for the Chiefs.

 

My Pick: Raiders    

 

Minnesota Vikings (2-3) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)

Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, TX

 

The Vikings won a close game against the Bears last week while the ‘Boys put up a good fight but lost to the Pats.  The Vikes are ranked 25th in the league in total defense and the ‘Boys are ranked 2nd in the league for total offense. The Vikes have Adrian Peterson which is good for them considering he was “beastin” last week. Peterson had 20 carries for 224 yards and 3 TDs.  Ladies and gentlemen, here is your Offensive Rookie of the Year.  The Vikes need to force Tony Romo to make mistakes and benefit from them if they are going to win the game.

 

The ’Boys need to do everything they have been doing until the 3rd quarter of last Sunday’s game.  For the exception of Peterson, the Vikes are weak.  Tavaris Jackson is weak and their WRs are weak.  The defense barely beat the Bears last weak and now the Vikes are going into Texas Stadium after a ‘Boys loss.  Good Luck.

 

My Pick: Cowboys

 

Chicago Bears (2-4) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

 

The Bears lost a heart breaker against the Eagles did all of the little things right against the Jets.  The Bears’ defense is just a shadow of itself from a year ago.  What was once a Top 5 defense has now been reduced to the 27th ranked defense in the league. Actually, “ouch” is right with the Bears considering all of the injuries they have suffered on defense.  This is why the Eagles have the edge.

 

Donovan McNabb has numerous weapons to go to against the weak Bears defense.  It was evident in last weeks’ game against the Jets.  McNabb was 22 for 35 with 278 yards and 1 touchdown in last Sunday’s game. Although he had 1 touchdown, it was a big touchdown for 75 yards to one of his newest targets, WR Kevin Curtis.  Curtis had 5 catches for 121 yards and that 1 touchdown. 

 

Also, when you have a Brian Westbrook in your backfield, you can make things happen because you have a versatile player who can contribute in rushing and receiving.  Westbrook had 20 carries for 120 yards rushing and 6 catches for 36 yards in receiving in last Sundays game.  That versatility allows McNabb to use the whole field when moving the ball for the score.  Look for the Eagles to give the Bears a stomach ache when their offense is on the field and tire out an already depleted defense.

 

My Pick: Eagles   

 

St. Louis Rams (0-6) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

Location: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

 

This is my “Who cares?” game of the week.  The Seahawks stunk up the joint last Sunday against the Saints while the Rams have been stinking up the joint all season long.  The Seahawks look good against bad teams and look bad against good teams.  That’s it.  It ain’t rocket science. I just can’t explain what happened last week against the Saints.  They should have had that game won.

 

On paper, the Seahawks are the better team across the board.  Their only disadvantage is that they do not have the WRs the Rams have.  The Rams may have the WRs, but they don’t have the QB, O-line, or RB. You’re not winning with ¼ of the puzzle. 

 

My Pick: Seahawks

 

Sunday Night Game:

 

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) vs. Denver Broncos (2-3)

Location: Invesco Field, Denver, CO

 

The Steelers have the #1 ranked defense in the league.  The Broncos are the 5th ranked offense in the league.  It all comes down to which Jay Cutler shows up.  Composed, mistake-free Jay or Nervous, freaked-out, accident prone Jay. That’s what it really boils down to. 

 

Since the Broncos’ running game is a hurting unit with injuries, don’t look for a lot of running from them.  They have to go to the air.  Despite what the numbers say, the Steelers have the better secondary than the Broncos. Look for the Steelers to shut down the Broncos’ WRs and their rushing attack. 

 

My Pick: Steelers       

 

Monday Night Game:

 

Game of the Week: Indianapolis Colts (5-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)

Location: ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, FL

 

The Colts are the 3rd ranked offense and the 5th ranked defense in the league. The Jags are ranked 7th in offense and 8th in defense in the league.  If you think the Sunday Night Game will be a barn burner, the Monday Night Game will be a nuclear explosion.  I’m going with the Colts in this game because of past performances against the Jags.  The Colts are 9-3 all-time against the Jags and QB David Gerad is going against the 5th ranked defense in the league.  He doesn’t have a chance.

 

The Jags have a good RB duo of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. And defensively, they Jags have the edge on the Colts with their LBs and DBs.  Then again, we’re talking about the Peyton Manning and the Colts.  Manning will call so many audibles; he’ll leave the Jags’ heads spinning on defense.  Colts’ WR Marvin Harrison’s status is still up in the air.  He’ll most likely be a game time decision.  RB Joseph Addai and Safety Bob Saunders did practice this week and are ready to go.  The Colts are the 2nd best team in the league and will do whatever it takes to prove why they are the defending champs.

 

My Pick: Colts

 

Teams with Bye weeks: Cleveland Browns (3-3), Green Bay Packers (5-1), San Diego Chargers (3-3), Carolina Panthers (4-2)

 

When the concept for Celebrity Rap Superstar was announced, it conjured up the same emotions as when a new season of Surreal Life would start. Take that as you will, but once the show actually began – in the midst of pink hair, booty shakes, and terrible rap impersonations stood one talented young woman who had just weathered quite the media storm.

 

Shar Jackson, most notably known as Niecy, the quirky pal on Moesha, might have slid under the radar all this time (despite her forced association to Britney by way of K-Fed), but she transformed into a person we all wanted to know.

With MC Lyte as a mentor, Shar J coasted into Celebrity Rap victory, not only making her kids proud, but living out the dream of her dear friend Lamont Bentley. The day following the Celebrity Rap Superstar finale, we dished with the surfing mommy of four about the show, her plans for an album, and how when the going gets tough: “let it blow.”

 

AllHipHop.com: Ok, well the obvious question is…are you doing an album?

 

Shar J: Yeah, I’m thinking about it. More than likely, it’s probably gonna go down. I feel like I’m having way too much fun to stop now.

 

AllHipHop.com: Have any labels approached you yet?

 

Shar J: Yeah, a couple of them have. I don’t know if I could say who they are, but three of them already have.

 

AllHipHop.com: Are we talking major labels?

 

Shar J: Two of them are.

 

AllHipHop.com: Wow that’s really good!

 

Shar J: Yeah, it’s so awesome.

 

AllHipHop.com: What did you feel your biggest disadvantage was coming into Celebrity Rap Superstar? Since it obviously wasn’t lyrical capability.

 

Shar J: You know it was just…people don’t take actors seriously when they’re trying to do music anyway. I figured that would probably be my biggest thing. I was like, “I have to take this seriously, and I have to bring it and give it everything that I have.”

 

AllHipHop.com: Was it disheartening for you at all, considering you had the judges on your side the whole time, but for a while the fan base seemed to be voting for the celebrity aspect more so than the Hip-Hop?

 

Shar J: Yeah it was definitely confusing like, “What exactly are we voting on here?” If we want to just vote on America’s favorite person period then okay fine cool, but I thought it was Celebrity Rap Superstar. [laughs]

 

AllHipHop.com: What was it like working with MC Lyte?

 

Shar J: She is absolutely awesome! I’m so happy I got a chance to work with her. All of the other mentors were great, but I don’t think anyone else I would’ve vibed with as well as I did with Lyte. She was just amazing. I’m happy that kids who didn’t know who she was got a chance to see how amazingly talented she is.

AllHipHop.com: You and Countess (Vaughn) seemed to be the two who took the show the most seriously.

 

Shar J: It was because Countess and I were both there for reasons that were different from everyone else’s. Countess and I – we actually had a mutual reason for being there. Our friend who was like our brother, Lamont Bentley, who played Hakeem on Moesha – he wanted to be a rapper more so than he wanted to act. That was his passion; that was his love. [Countess] and I both did the show in honor of him so that we could kind of let him live out his dream through us, even though he’s not here physically anymore.

 

AllHipHop.com: So it was more for his legacy.

 

Shar J: Yeah. That’s why I had my shirt [during the finale]. I had his picture on it, because if I won this I’m not doing it without him.

 

AllHipHop.com: Was it cool working with Countess again?

 

Shar J: Oh God yeah! That’s like my family anyway, so you put us two nuts in a room together and who knows what’s gonna happen. [laughs]

 

AllHipHop.com: Do you think you two will be working together musically?

 

Shar J: I would love to do something on Countess’ album. I know she’s making one, and I would love to bless that. That would be awesome. That girl’s super talented.

 

AllHipHop.com: You were able to bypass a great deal of the media garbage that surrounded you during the show. How were you able to do that?

 

Shar J: Because it’s really not surrounding me [laughs] so as long as I tell people that, honestly at the end of the day it has nothing to do with me. I think they finally get it. Plus they’re like, “Okay she’s not giving us the answers, so we’ll leave it alone.” [laughs]

 

AllHipHop.com: On the show, during the competition where you teamed with another opponent, you were really lucky to be placed with Sebastian Bach. I felt sorry for Countess [who was paired with Laguna Beach’s Jason Wahler].

 

Shar J: [laughs] You know what? I don’t feel bad for Countess, and let me tell you why. Her performance with Jason [Wahler] – everybody knew that he was going to be so bad; it would make Countess look like more of a star. She had to hold her own on that stage. She could’ve probably walked up to the mic, farted, and still would’ve been okay. [laughs] It would’ve still made her shine through that whole performance. With Sebastian [Bach], had I not brought my A-game, he would’ve murdered me. He would’ve murdered me! We were a team, but we still had to bring our A-game, because we were steppin’ on stage with each other. That’s real competition.

 

AllHipHop.com: Which Hip-Hop track do you wish that you did?

 

Shar J: I kinda wanted to do “One Minute Man” just because I’m in that video, and I feel like that’s how I actually connect with Hip-Hop. That’s my only Hip-Hop history. [laughs] I would’ve loved to do that song. I would’ve also loved to do a Krucial Konflict song, just because I think they’re badass. But I don’t think they would’ve let me get away with singing, “Hay in the middle of the barn. Smokin’ on…” yeah, no the whole thing would’ve been bleeped, and it just wouldn’t have been cool.

 

AllHipHop.com: Which of your performances was your favorite? Like which do you think you banged out the best?

 

Shar J: I think as far as which one I think I banged out the best, I’m gonna go with – it’s a tie, and I’m gonna go with “Ruffneck” and the Twista joint [“Overnight Celebrity”].

 

AllHipHop.com: You killed “Overnight Celebrity.”

 

Shar J: Yeah, like that’s the one I went home and watched it and was jumping on my bed like, “Omg who is that girl?”

 

AllHipHop.com: I still watch that sh*t on You Tube.

 

Shar J: It’s on my My Space page! Like every time I go check my stuff I’m like, “Ahhh yeah!” My son walked in my room this morning and he was playing it on his little iPod and he was like, “Aiight mama, go!” [laughs] so I had to do it for him [while I’m] laying in bed. I’m like, “Alright now get out of my room, thanks.” [laughs]

 

AllHipHop.com: Your kids must think you’re such a badass.

 

Shar J: They love it. I’m tellin’ you last week, both of them wore their “Vote For My Mom, Shar J” shirts to school. I was like, “Awww you guys are killin’ me right now. I love it.” That’s what made me cry dude [during the finale] because I looked up and saw all four of my babies – because this was the first time my baby babies came – and I lost it, because they were so excited and so happy and the look on Kori’s face like, “Look at my mommy.” It was so great, like sh*t I’m gonna cry. That’s when I almost broke down.

 

[Celebrity Rap Superstar] was definitely an awesome thing, and I really hope they get to do a second season, because I want eight more people to have as much fun as I did.

 

AllHipHop.com: So what’s next for you?

 

Shar J: I’m doing TRL. After that – I just finished the original song that I wrote, “Let It Blow.” I went to Atlanta and finished that with [Mr.] Collipark, so…

 

AllHipHop.com: Uh oh!

 

Shar J: Yeah man!

 

AllHipHop.com: Whatever, you have an album coming…

 

Shar J: [laughs] Like I said, I think it’s goin’ down. I just have to have a good time. If I stop having a good time and stop having fun, then that’s when I won’t want to do it anymore, and I’ll just go back to what I know, which is acting. Right now I’m having a good time, and it’s like a rollercoaster seriously, and me, my friends, my team, we’re just gonna sit back, strap up and enjoy the ride.

 

AllHipHop.com: Years back while you were on the set of Moesha, if someone said down the road you’re gonna start rapping, what would you think?

 

Shar J: Yeah, I would’ve thought they were absolutely crazy. [laughs] I’m like dude, I’m a surfing mom from Orange County. No way. [laughs] But hey man, you never know. Whatever God has in store for you, no matter what, nothing can stop it. The only person that can stop what God has planned for you is yourself.

 

There were plenty of times where I could’ve thrown in the towel and just said, “Oh my God I don’t want people to look at me anymore. Everyone’s all in my business, everyone thinks they know me. Oh my God I got dumped in front of the whole wide world. Oh I should just go in a corner and cry.” I could’ve done that, but you know what? That’s not who I am. That’s not who my mom raised me to be, and I just kept going. I was like, “You know what? I’m gonna get through this. I’m gonna be alright. Not only am I gonna get through this, I don’t have a choice.”

 

I have these four little faces looking at me, so I have to get through this for them. And that brings me to where I am today…[laughs] playin’ my video games and smiling.

 

 

Soul music, cheese steaks, and the Eagles are a few things that may come to mind when someone thinks of the city of Philadelphia.  Unfortunately, when it is noted that Philadelphia’s nickname is the “City of Brotherly Love,” an outsider might assume that the title is either a joke or a misnomer.  You can point to the cold reception given to visiting teams or the raucous nature of the stands at Lincoln Financial Field.  Though verbal jabs about Philadelphia fans are usually jovial in nature, there is a much more serious issue that is plaguing the city’s status as one of brotherly love.

 

As the national debate over gun control rages and presidential candidates volley for the perfect sound bite, the city of Philadelphia is facing a continued surge in violent crimes and homicides.  There have been over 300 murders as of early October, and the deadly trend is showing little sign of slowing its pace.  City officials and community members have struggled to curtail the violence and ascertain its origins, with some attributing it to a growth in the number of illegal weapons and heightened poverty rates.

 

The Problem:

The strain felt by Philadelphia’s beleaguered citizens is part of a much larger trend of an increase in violent crime over the past several years.  An FBI report that was released in June 2007 analyzed murder rates in the ten largest cities and noted that Philadelphia had the highest murder rate in 2006.  The flood of violence has had a disproportionate affect on Philadelphia’s African-American community.

 

The Solution:

Local community leaders have vowed to take action and involve Philadelphians in the effort to fight the recent waves of violence.  Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson, movie producer Charles “Charlie Mack” Alston, famed songwriter Kenneth Gamble, and the Philadelphia Millions More Movement have joined forces to launch the “Call to Action: 10,000 MEN: It’s A New Day in Philadelphia.”  Through a series of small rallies (dates available on their website: www.10000menphilly.com, the “Call to Action” plans to register 10,000 men to attend the main event on October 21, 2007.  Volunteers will later go through orientation programs to learn ways to help keep their communities safe.

 

Will It Work?

The success of grassroots activism depends on several factors, including how well the group connects with the community, the presence of a long-term commitment to assist with a resolution, and the infrastructure of the organization.  By rooting the event in the local African-American community, the organizers of the “Call to Action” have provided an opportunity for those who are most affected by the violence to become involved in the solution.  In order to establish a connection between volunteers and their patrol area, volunteers will be assigned to the general area in which they live.

Today we look at the NBA Central Division.  When last we left, the Anointed King James was crowned and the Mighty Pistons went out with a whimper. Have the tables turned?  Have new contenders arisen?

 

Chicago Bulls

 

Projected Starting Lineup:

C Ben Wallace

PF Joakim Noah

SF Luol Deng

SG Ben Gordon

PG Kirk Hinrich

Coach: Scott Skiles

 

The good: They didn’t trade for Kobe.

 

The Bulls are on the verge.  They’re almost there.  They lost in the 2nd round to the Detroit Pistons in six games, but things seem to be coming together for them.  Why?  Forward Luol Deng is coming into his own, having a career year in ’06-’07, averaging 18.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG as he enters his fourth year in the league.  He picked a good time to do it too; his contract extension is due any day now.  Also looking for an extension is Ben Gordon, who managed to remain the starting shooting guard by averaging 21.4 ppg.  With Kirk Hinrich playing a steady PG for them, they have one of the youngest and most potent backcourt trios in the NBA. 

 

First round pick out of Florida Joakim Noah is ready to be Mr. Hustle in the same way center Ben Wallace has been throughout his career.  They won’t be lacking depth with Chris Duhon, Joe Smith, and Andres Nocioni leading the reserves.Thabo Sefolosha can be a Bruce Bowen-like player off the bench as well.  For a team that is already good, the fact that they may get better with time is scary.

 

The bad:  Failing to trade for Pau Gasol or any dominant low post scorer will still be a sore weak point for the Bulls.

 

The Bulls are set everywhere… except in the post.  Joakim Noah’s offensive gameis still maturing, Ben Wallace makes Shaq look like J.J. Redick from the charity stripe, and Tyrus Tyrus Thomas looks like a bust in the making.  Although he’s very athletic, he’s so far shown a low basketball IQ and it makes one wonder whether they will regret trading LaMarcus Aldridge in 2006  to Portland for Thomas’ rights.  They will be going up against teams who have low post presences and although they have the defenders to stop them, they won’t have the offensive firepower from their big men to attack. 

 

Lastly, the Bulls cannot get off to a slow start the way they did last year.  The better they start, the more they can tell reporters that they don’t need Kobe Bryant, or Pau Gasol, or Kevin Garnett, or anyone else they were in the hunt for.  Deng and Gordon need to play like they belong in Chicago rather than audition for a starting job with the Los Angeles Lakers and it is up GM Jim Paxson to dead those talks now.

 

The outlook: 1st in the East, 1st in the Central, out in the Eastern Conference Finals 

 

 

Detroit Pistons

 

Projected Starting Lineup:

C Rasheed Wallace

PF Antonio McDyessSF Tayshaun Prince

SG Richard Hamilton

PG Chauncey Billups

Coach: Flip Saunders

 

The good:  The experience is there, the players are mostly the same, and Amir Johnson is ready to get comfortable in Detroit.

 

The Pistons choked last year in the Eastern Conference Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  They lost to a guy people call Boobie (Daniel Gibson).  Tayshaun Prince played defense the likes of which would have made Carmelo Anthony cringe.  However, this team learns from its mistakes.  Detroit has a championship pedigree and is a perennial playoff team, still good enough to get by in a tough Central Division.  All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups averaged 7.2 assists per game, but now he may have more of an opportunity to live up to his nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” 

 

First round pick Rodney Stuckey out of Eastern Washington is a steal.  He was chosen to possibly replace Billups had he not taken his 5 year $60 mil extension.  Between Stuckey and other first rounder Arron Afflalo, coach Flip Saunders does not have to burn out Billups and shooting guard Rip Hamilton.  Seldom used forward Amir Johnson re-signed for $11 mil over 3 years.  That contract will look like sweatshop money after Amir gets an extended look by Saunders.  After dominating the NBA’s Development League, Amir and fellow forward Jason Maxiell should look to be effective in helping out former all-star Antonio McDyess at the 4 spot.

 

The bad:  The window of opportunity is closing… and they have Rasheed Wallace.

 

Rasheed Wallace at center is not working.  Wallace, coming off of a terrible season in which he averaged 12 ppg and 7 rpg, needs to keep his emotions in check for this upcoming season.  Before, he could rack up all the technical fouls he wanted while averaging almost 20 points per game.  Now he lets his bad judgment get the better of him and it showed during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

 

Flip needs to give guys like Amir Johnson a chance to play.  Flip has a tendency to go with the veterans, something that doesn’t help the young kids down the line.  This team is now capable of imploding to lesser competition.  The entire team looked lost against the Cavaliers and it could linger this season.  They’ve got the pieces, but they are a season or two away from looking old, out of place, and out of excuses.  Last year in the playoffs we saw how much the departure of longtime center Ben Wallace hurt them.  This year they need to figure out how they will offset that.  The key is letting Johnson play more. 

 

The outlook: 4th in the East, 2nd in the Central, out in th eEastern Conference Semi Finals 

 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Projected Starting Lineup:

C Zydrunas Ilgauskas

PF Drew GoodenSF LeBron JamesSG Larry HughesPG Daniel Gibson

Coach: Mike Brown

 

The good news: LeBron James is ready to be the best player in the world.  

 

LeBron James i scoming off another great season, averaging 27.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game and proving to everyone that he is ready to be the best player in the NBA at 22 years of age.  His ability to carry the Cavs from league laughingstock to the NBA Finals in a matter of four years is amazing. 

 

Although the San Antonio Spurs swept them in an forgettable Finals, the Cavs are returning knowing they can trust guys other than LeBron.  Sophomore Point Guard Daniel Gibson, known as “Boobie” to hardcore Cavs fans, surprised everyone in the postseason, spearheading the Cavs’ comeback against the Detroit Pistons, including a 31 point performance in Game 5.  Pegged potentially to start, Boobie’s presence on the court now gives LeBron the player he needs to complement his game. Gibson will be the real deal. 

 

Head Coach Mike Brown’s defensive scheming came up big during the playoffs.  Now with added offense for players like Gibson and Drew Gooden, the Cavs could conceivably make another Finals run.

 

The bad news: The inability to re-sign glue guys Andersen Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic weakened this team in more ways than LeBron James wants to know.

 

Power forward Anderson Varejao was the hustle man for the Cavs, taking charge after charge and providing energy off the bench while Sasha found his niche as a deadly three point shooter, averaging 40% from downtown in 2007.  Both seemed like lay-ups to be resigned, especially with the Cavs’ ability to match any offer they received.  As of this article’s writing, neither has been re-signed and negotiations are not looking good. 

 

If it is a money issue, then guard Larry Hughes needs to personally agree to give them half his salary at least.  Hughes flat out frustrates, averaging 14.9 ppg, but only shooting 40% from the field.  Add the fact that he’s making $12 mil a season and you wonder what it will take for Hughes to ever live up to his potential, because everyone is running out of options.  The Cavs on paper do not have the talent that other teams have and with a bench that has old veterans such as Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow, and Damon Jones, it doesn’t bode well for LeBron.

 

The outlook: 5th in the East, 3rd in the Central, out in the first round of the playoffs, and that’s IF the Cavs can somehow get Varejao and Pavlovic signed.

 

 

Milwaukee Bucks

 

Projected Starting Lineup:

C Andrew Bogut

PF Yi Jianlian

SF Charlie Villanueva

SG Michael Redd

PG Maurice Williams

Coach: Larry Krystkowiak

 

The good:  Michael Redd is the best shooter in the NBA not named Ray Allen.  The Bucks have the best potential to surprise.

 

The Bucks came off of a 28-54 season.  Part of that was because injuries decimated the team.  Michael Redd missed 29 games and former UConn standout Charlie Villanueva missed 43 games in his first season in Mil-Town due to various injuries.  If health is on their side, there’s no telling what both of them can bring to this team. 

 

Maurice Williams is perhaps the best point guard nobody has heard of, averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 assists per game, clearly making himself and Redd one of the best backcourts in the East.  Backup PG Charlie Bell is back (although he might want to be).  Many teams lobbied for his services (just ask Pat Riley down in South Beach) as he averaged 13.5 points per game off the bench.  They have the youth to do it and it should be no surprise to anyone if they make noise this season in the East.

 

The bad: So many question marks on this team + so many things needing to break their way = one season away from playoffs.

 

This is truly a season for head coach Larry Krystkowiak to find out what his team is made of.  Bobby Simmons did not play a single game last season, but despite that, he needs to prove that he can justify the $55 million contract he signed after winning the Most Improved Player Award with the Los Angeles Clippers.  Andrew Bogut, though he has been solid, needs to prove that he was worthy of being chosen the #1 pick in 2005.  Though his numbers have been solid, he needs to do more because backup center Dan Gadzuric can only be so mediocre.  Most of all, first round pick Yi Jianlian needs to prove he belongs in the league.  The 19 year old (allegedly) Chinese prospect almost did not sign with the Bucks as his agent realized that Milwaukee was not New York, L.A., or Chicago.  Yi can eithe rgo bang or bust, it’s too easy to tell.  Before Yi and his people can begin making diva-like demands, he needs to show he can even be a starter in the NBA.  If he can’t, then Milwaukee blew a shot to improve the team and Yi will be looked at as Wang Zhi Zhi more than Yao Ming.

 

The outlook: 14th in the East, 4th in the Central.Out of the Playoffs 

 

 

Indiana Pacers

 

Projected Starting Lineup:

C Jermaine O’NealPF Troy MurphySF Danny Granger

SG Mike Dunleavy

PG Jamaal Tinsley

Coach: Jim O’Brien

 

The good news: Danny Granger is going to be a rock for this team for years to come.

 

Danny Granger was the 17th overall pick in the 2005 Draft.  Solid, good, and professional were words used to describe him.  Cornerstone was not one of them.  However, Granger is proving that he can be the main man for the Pacers.  Averaging a shade less than 14 points per game, Granger is developing into one of the better young small forwards in the game.  Ike Diogu was picked eight selections before Granger by the Golden State Warriors and brought to the Pacers in the deal that sent Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to the Bay Area last January.  Diogu is backing up star forward Jermaine O’Neal.  His time is coming soon, as the Pacers are going young for the future.

 

The bad news: Jermaine O’Neal already has one foot out the door. GM Larry Bird does not..

 

Jermaine O’Neal averaged 19.6 points, 9.6 boards, and 2.6 blocks per game, but that may only be important for the teams courting O’Neal.  This summer, O’Neal has been in the middle of many trade rumors, including one that almost sent him to the Boston Celtics and another which could have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that O’Neal has said he would not mind playing for.  The Pacers were unable to trade him, as well as unable to do many things this offseason. 

 

They missed out on their first round after trading their pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Al Harrington (who didn’t even spend half the season with them before being traded to Golden State).  PG Jamaal Tinsley flat out can’t shoot, only making 39% of his jump shots.  The rebuilding is starting, albeit with overpaid former Warriors Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy Jr. making $17.5 mil this season between the two of them. 

 

Overall, new head coach Jim O’Brien will have his hands full for this soon-to-be-rebuilding project.  Things need to change and it will start when Jermaine O’Neal is finally traded.  Well, Larry Bird and Wolves head architect Kevin McHale were at the top as players.  Now they can have bunk beds at the cellar as GMs.

 

The outlook: Last in the East, Last in the Central. First in wanting to know how Derrick Rose is doing at the University of Memphis.  They’ll need him in the worst way for the future.